Relational Stalinism
Central to many of Portnoy's projects is his tongue-in-cheek concept of 'Relational Stalinism,' a form of relational aesthetics that works against "the fashionable promise that an artwork might offer a democratic magic, transforming inter-relational codes into something nicer…” Unlike other artists who produce participatory artworks, Portnoy undermines the creation of a harmonious community by setting as many limitations as possible on the participants and then introducing destabilizing mechanisms, such as changing the rules in the middle of the game. This breed of absurdist, dictatorial interaction with participants is “a clarification of the artist's imperious role as producer and performer.” Contrary to many contemporary participatory events, these schemes value confusion, complication, and ambiguity over predictable outcomes, and the goal is to stretch and dislocate the participants by complicating their behavior and language in the service of riotous invention. By acting as the “Director of Behavior” and constantly modifying the standards of the game, Portnoy forces the participants to construct unexpected worlds and new models of communication.
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