Site specific performances tend to embrace a particular site in order to portray a story regarding either the historical, social or the cultural aspects of that site in relation to its surroundings and community. Charles Goven iterates the importance of the performative exploration of space and place through its ability of “framing and reframing places and spaces as changing routes and roots of communities, and individuals are negotiated, questioned and explored” (Goven en al, Making a Performance, p.136). Goven emphasizes the significance of exploring space within modern society which is globalized and whereby cyberspace is becoming a way of life. In today’s society it can be argued that in first world culture the use of technology induces us in seeing more of the events in the world, however, many of us do not explore the physical surroundings we are in due to the increased use of smart technology.
Some practitioners believe that “contemporary perceptions of identity are formed by identifying with, and travelling between, different locations and multiple places” (Goven, Making a Performance, 134). Guy Debord replicates this idea combining the routes through places, combined with the roots of the participant’s culture. His performance Derive challenges participants to alternate their normal routine when walking through their city. Debord wanted to challenge the “psychological seduction inherent in the superficial glamour of the society of spectacle” (Goven en al, Making a Performance, p141). Through asking his participants to be led by alterations and interruptions rather than routine, The Situationist’s concept of psychogeography may be achieved. This concept explores the psychological effects of the environment with the idea that the participant’s may come to realise the emptiness of their lives through the space, place and the situation Debord has urged them to pursue.
This idea can be explored within the Collection Museum and Usher Gallery as the two buildings are situated within Lincoln and generally exhibit items and paintings generic to Lincoln/Lincolnshire. This in itself enables us to explore the museum in as a specified place with a refined collection which some may argue represents Lincolnshire’s culture and history. For my group we could focus on the historical influence of the Roman Empire on the art work presented and the culture’s representations of women and their role within society. This could be used when referring to John Gibson’s Venus kissing Cupid (Gibson, 1930) statue, which has become an interest to us for a potential performance stimulus, alongside other statues of the Roman God’s.

Gibson, J. (1930). Venus Kissing Cupid. Lincoln: The Usher Gallery.
Govan, E., Nicholson, H. and Normington, K. (2007). Making a performance. London: Routledge.