ABSTRACT
In this exploration of Fluxus performance and exhibition practices, Natilee Harren examines the complex challenges of preserving, presenting and reinterpreting Fluxus event scores and objects. Drawing from interviews with artists, curators and scholars, Harren investigates the delicate balance between historical fidelity and the contemporary reactivation of Fluxus works. The essay introduces two key frameworks for understanding Fluxus activation: a “meta-score” for performance and exhibition and a “Fluxus Activation Matrix” that maps degrees of interpretation and intervention. Harren argues that while early Fluxus artists resisted standardization, there is now an urgent need to articulate responsible approaches to presenting their work, as original participants age and pass away. Central to Harren’s analysis is the tension between preserving the core aesthetic and ethical principles of Fluxus and allowing for creative reinterpretation. She explores issues of performance rights, tacit knowledge and the evolving culture of permissions surrounding Fluxus works. The essay critically examines how institutions and performers might honor the spirit of Fluxus without ossifying it into a rigid historical artifact. Ultimately, Harren advocates for an approach that maintains the work’s inherent flexibility while respecting its conceptual integrity, arguing that “We get the Fluxus we deserve.”
