„Extra Bodies“ is a theoretical volume rooted in the PhD research of Raphael Gygax, curator at the Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, and complements an exhibition held from November 2017 to February 2018. It explores an artistic trend that emerged in the 1990s within the performing arts, where artists incorporate “other bodies” into their work, emphasizing their “vitality.” A key strategy involves leveraging the social roles of these bodies, referred to as “extras,” to underscore the societal dimensions of the artwork. This volume situates this phenomenon within the broader context of the 1990s, particularly in relation to Relational Aesthetics and its theoretical frameworks. It examines the shift from a “bio-political” to a “psycho-political” body over the past three decades. Through case studies of artists like Ai Weiwei, Vanessa Beecroft, and Teresa Margolles, the author creates a typology of the “extra body,” investigating its various contexts and references. Additionally, the research links the performing body to its integration into the art market and global art system. The exhibition’s sections, highlighting this phenomenon and its historical precedents from the 1960s onward, are complemented by short texts and a rich image section, along with interviews featuring artists, gallerists, and participants embodying the “extra body.” Published in collaboration with the Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst.
