What can theatre do about the refugee crisis? Enacting commitment and navigating complicity in performative interventions

Abstract

This article argues that in a society transformed by an increasing bureaucratic nexus of migration, artistic responses to political crises are particularly effective when working with institutions. To probe the prevalent discourse on the efficacy of performance art, the article interrogates Grandhotel Cosmopolis through a lens of institutional aesthetics. Dwelling at the intersection between performance and institutions, this intervention combines refugee accommodation with a tourist hotel and artist studios. Ultimately, the article outlines the role of commitment in the intervention, which stands exemplary for emerging art practices that permeate the boundaries of institutional policy, performance art and social fields.