This book traces the evolution of Alain-Martin Richard's thinking and practice. By providing an overview of Richard's important contribution to the fields of performance and action art, social practices, digital media, event curating and practice-based cultural theory, this book is a significant document of a key figure in the contemporary art scene in Quebec. Most importantly, Richard's career as a solo and collective artist provides the authors with a critical platform to address the complex and ongoing struggle to redefine the place and relevance of art in the social sphere.

This book is divided into several sections. A series of articles traces the salient aspects of Richard's work : a commitment to affective social action that goes well beyond the known markers of audience interaction, relational aesthetics and social sculpture into the territory of the maneuver; an intellectual rigor that demonstrates a keen understanding of both the art and history of theatre and Western philosophy; a deep political commitment to questioning the power strategies inherent in the institutional structures of a globalized culture; and a remarkable sensitivity to matching the potential of poetry and poiein in action. In addition, this book brings together for the first time nine major texts by Richard, re-edited from a variety of sources, providing a theoretical overview of his sustained preoccupations with theatre, performance, action art and manoeuvre. It also provides an exhaustive list of his work and writings, including detailed descriptions of major achievements and his working methods. Finally, the book includes a DVD featuring the maneuver and installation The Route to Rosa, a Toronto residency project supported by Fado Performance Inc. in 2006.