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performance-art-as-refusal
Using simple, unconventional actions in public or work spaces to challenge social norms and expectations, as seen in Pilvi Takala's and Diogenes's behaviors.
1 chapter across 1 book
How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy (2019)Jenny Odell
Chapter 3
Chapter 3 explores acts of refusal within social and work contexts, exemplified by Pilvi Takala's performance 'The Trainee' and the ancient Cynic philosopher Diogenes of Sinope. It examines how such refusals disrupt social norms and expectations, revealing the fragility of habitual behaviors and creating a 'third space' for alternative modes of existence. The chapter also references Herman Melville's 'Bartleby, the Scrivener' as a literary example of refusal that challenges the terms of participation itself.