“Euripidean dilemma”: Nietzsche’s influence on Danto’s philosophical understanding of performance art

This essay addresses the theoretical foundations of Danto’s vision of performance art. In his writings, Danto rarely mentions this art form and when he does so, it is for the most part in a negative way. Still, there is one clue to Danto’s deeper engagement with performance art. This is his constant references to Nietzsche’s The Birth of Tragedy. Danto finds in Nietzsche a critical tool for engaging with contemporary artists: what he calls the “Euripidean dilemma”. This approach provides a basis for discussing the relevance of Nietzschean thought in developing a philosophical understanding of performance art.