Defining peripeteia. The theoretical disentanglement of Möbius Strip

Abstract

This article draws from the Japanese phenomenological approach (Kyoto School, particularly Kitaro Nishida and Watsuji Tetsurō) concerning the embodied experience of time-space. It unravels crucial concepts behind Möbius Strip, a mixed-media performance along the way with a particular focus on peripeteia. Having been triggered by the current warfare in Ukraine, Möbius Strip deals with the phenomenon of war. The aim of this article is to disentangle the meaning of peripeteia as a term in a concrete fashion by identifying its role and impact in the dramaturgy of Möbius Strip. The term is further circumscribed under a comparative point of view, which narrates peripeteia as a term that is primarily encountered in Ancient Greek tragedy and unravels its connection with cognate terms from Asian tradition.

Keywords

• ancient-greek-drama
• anthropocene
• butoh
• japanese-phenomenology
• performative-praxis
• peripeteia
• politics-of-time
• warfare