TABOO - TRANSGRESSION - TRANSCENDENCE

The paper builds upon the theory of metaleptic objects by researching the concept of metaleptic performativity. Metaleptic objects and performances are interconnected facets of art at the intersection of science and technology, both serving to challenge and transcend societal taboos and boundaries. Metaleptic objects, characterized by their static materiality, incorporate human bodily excretions and fluids—taboo elements traditionally excluded from aesthetic considerations—reframing them as resources for artistic energy and ecological recycling. Through their unsettling transformation of biological surplus into art, these objects challenge prevailing cultural perceptions, oscillating between fascination and repulsion. Their permanence invites sustained reflection on the human body’s materiality and its potential for generating alternative narratives around waste and value. Metaleptic performativity enacts these transgressive principles through live and ephemeral actions. By utilizing the human body or taboo materials in performance art, it disrupts conventional narrative structures, creating immersive and participatory experiences. The temporal and interactive dimensions of performance amplify its ethical and emotional resonance, foregrounding the immediacy of norm breach and provoking an intensified engagement with societal boundaries. Both forms underscore the transformative possibilities inherent in taboo materials, recontextualizing them to challenge established norms and explore new ontological frontiers. By examining these modalities, the paper underscores their shared ability to disrupt cultural assumptions and reshape the interplay between art, materiality, and contravention. These modalities are explored through case studies such as Until I Die by ::vtol::, Cloaca by Wim Delvoye, Agalma by Zoran Todorović, and Kissing Data Symphony by Karen Lancel and Hermen Maat.