Linguistic Disruptions and Pussy Riot: Applying Julia Kristeva’s Conceptualization of Semiotic Disturbance to a Punk Prayer
How can Kristeva’s concept of disruption within the language system relate to modes of feminist artistic performance? To begin, I am thinking of how Pussy Riot’s protest acts factor into Kristeva’s theory of the symbolic and semiotic. Kristeva positions semiotic acts within language as those which interrupt the signifying process; paradoxically, the semiotic exists with the symbolic to generate the processes of signification. I am intrigued by Kristeva’s notion of the semiotic being representative of babble; if not accompanied by symbolic (structural) elements -- such as grammatical principles -- the semiotic comes across as a mere incoherence. Without the structure associated with signification, language as we know it would fail to occur. The presence of semiotic parts would come across as just unintelligible fragments such as meaningless (non-linguistic) sound. If we turn to the Pussy Riot: Punk Prayer documentary, I believe we see an interesting manifestation of the symbolic/semiotic relationship.
A tension of linguistic intelligibility becomes evident in this 2012 film, particularly in moments of punk performance. The most notable of these performances is Pussy Riot’s fleeting occupation of Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior. This infamous protest act utilizes a combination of musical and dissonant sounds to convey a particular message of dissent. In this performance, we see Pussy Riot members seize the soleas of Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior and proceed to engage in a series of loosely coordinated dance motions while exclaiming feminist cries of protest set to punk music. Although viewers are able to decipher some clear phrases in the performance (“Virgin Mary, become a feminist”...“Shit, shit, the Lord’s shit”), it feels as though the synergy of what Kristeva might label the piece’s semiotic qualities generate a unique form of liminality. There is a certain affective dimension to the combination of vocal screeches, fast guitar, traditional hymnal tones, and prayerful silence. Perhaps the most resonant form of protest occurs through this dissonant synergy. As the Russian orthodox church is a tangible location demarcated by its sense of order, harmonious sounds, and predictable words/voices; Pussy Riot’s protest act not only serves to shock and disrupt “business as usual,” but to also present a unique mode of communication.
I would argue that the performance’s amalgamation of semiotic elements invests the protest act with bold defiance. Spectators are befuddled not just simply by the uncharacteristic nature of the act taking place, but by the strange marriage of noises and sounds that exist outside a clear system of signification. How does the subversive quality of this odd non-linguistic sound mish-mash enhance the power of Pussy Riot’s message? I am interested in taking Kristeva’s notion of disruption in processes of signification and considering how her thoughts apply to additional works of art, such as those highlighted in !Women Art Revolution. As Lynn Hershman Leeson’s film details the subversive nature of various feminist art methods and works, I wonder how such works might explore liminality as it applies to Kristeva’s take on processes of signification -- how can that exploration offer further insights on feminist art/performances’ sites of radical tension?
