International Journal of Education & the Arts

Citation: Otten, M. (2024). ‘Carrying’ in art: A meeting between performance studies and care ethics by analyzing the artworks of performance artist Pepe Espaliú. International Journal of Education & the Arts, 25(si1.24). http://doi.org/10.26209/ijea25si1.24

This paper proposes a new approach to performance art analysis through the lens of care ethics. I argue that Pepe Espaliú's artworks can be better understood when considering a political care ethics approach to inquiry, as developed at the Care Ethics and Policy Group at the Dutch University of Humanistic Studies. Care ethics emphasizes the importance of human relationships and the responsibility to nurture others, acknowledging inequities and asymmetries. I invite readers to reflect upon the dialogue between the two fields by inquiring the intersection between the fields along five themes: being the absent and vulnerable ‘other’; (inter)dependency in place and time; vulnerable embodiment; the absent presence/the presence of absence and politics and contextuality. This five-theme approach can be a valuable tool for art educators and ethics educators. By exploring these themes through artistic works, students can develop critical thinking skills and a deeper understanding of care ethical concepts.