Politics and performance: art, theatre and the public in Jacques Ranciére

In the creative process, art goes beyond space and time. The art of theatre is a performative activity in terms of its production process. It also offers a discursive framework through which the relationship between art and politics can be understood. Undoubtedly, in terms of its performative and dynamic character; it differs from painting, sculpture or literature. This study aims to discuss the relationship between art and political theory by particularly focusing on Jacques Rancière's perspective on the art of theatre and its potentials. Ranciére's views on theater generally include criticism of the classical theater movements that preceded him. In the study, Ranciére's approach to the relationship between publicity and theater is being discussed within the framework of the debates on representation, agency, participation, and power that come to the fore in contemporary political theory. In this context, by going through Rancière's thought; it is aimed to make a particular contribution to the understanding of current debates on theatrical representation and collectivity, coexistence and performance. Keywords Art, politics, aesthetics, representation, participation, power, new theater.