غیاب

Throughout the history of dramatic literature, "presence" has been assumed as a fundamental concept, prominently reflected in the existence and presence of an active character and an organized and primarily forward-moving plot within the drama structure. While "presence" is often considered foundational, the concept of "absence" as its counterpart has frequently been overlooked and neglected. Jacques Derrida, the post-structuralist philosopher, argued in his theory of deconstruction that Western metaphysical tradition is centered on presence while disregarding absence. He called for disrupting the prevalent binary oppositions in this tradition and dismantling existing structures to allow marginalized voices and previously absent elements to speak. This article, drawing on Derrida’s theory of deconstruction and employing a descriptive-analytical method, examines the manifestation of the concept of "absence" in The Bald Soprano, Waiting for Godot, and The Dumb Waiter as the first, most renowned, and one of the most significant examples of absurd drama. It demonstrates how a new form of dramatic literature has emerged by deconstructing the structures and dominant patterns that have governed Western dramatic traditions for centuries. This form, characterized by the absence of an active, driving character, a nonlinear and repetitive plot, and the prevailing absurdity of its world, aligns with the era in which these plays were conceived and established, promising a fresh perspective. These plays can be considered pioneers who indicate the possibility of new types of drama by breaking common patterns and established traditions and creating harmony between the drama of each era and its contemporaneous characteristics.

This article discusses the presence and absence of objects in museums, based on J. Fontanilla’s perspective. The study analyzes museums outside of Iran and examines recent projects or museum scenarios that have addressed the issue of missing elements or absence, aiming to reduce various forms of absence. The research findings suggest that the dichotomy between presence and absence in museums is diminishing, due to evolving object representation policies, redefined museum missions, and the integration of new technologies. The evidence indicates that expressions of absence in museums are becoming more Non-material and Visible, and absence is now acknowledged alongside presence in museum contexts.

Ever since the emergence of drama in this world of possibilities, there has always been an affirmative or privative relationship between philosophy and drama. Among the thinkers who’ve approached to art based on this perspective, Martin Heidegger in his book The Origin of the Work of Art presented an ontological interpretation of ancient Greece’s tragedies and reflected on the relationship between drama and existence, in other words, the presence and absence of existence in drama. In this study, in order to understand the relationship between philosophy and drama based on ontology, we use the method of hermeneutic phenomenology and library sources to study the play of Mohammad Rezaei Rad based on the ontological relationship between Presence and Absence in Martin Heidegger's thought so that we can contemplate the relationship between philosophy and drama with an ontological approach in Iranian drama and explain the fundamental aspects of this work. For this purpose, we propose the hypothesis that the foundation of this play is based on the dialectic of presence and absence and the structural elements of this work are based on that foundation. We first consider the relationship between drama and philosophy and then describe the method. In our cognition, we reflect on what presence and absence is, and the approach goal of understanding is how these two concepts occur as the fundamental principles of the play. We will also implicitly show how it is possible to narrate the relation between human and the universe by examining the philosophical concepts and using them in drama.