Summary
Highlights
Marina Abramovic, who describes herself as a 'warrior of performance art', is currently showcasing her work at London's Royal Academy. This marks the first time the main galleries have been dedicated to a solo female artist, a significant milestone in her 55-year career, especially given that performance art was initially not recognized as art. Abramovic quotes Gandhi, highlighting the journey from being ignored to ultimately winning acceptance and recognition. She emphasizes using her body as a tool for self-discovery and understanding humanity.
Abramovic recounts her 1974 piece, 'Rhythm 0', where she allowed the audience to do anything to her for six hours using 72 objects, leading to an extreme and dangerous experience. Twenty-five years later, 'The Artist is Present' at MoMA in 2010 offered a stark contrast: a silent, non-contact interaction where thousands queued for hours to sit opposite her. This later work, she explains, demonstrated a deep human need for connection and shared emotion, highlighting that despite differences, we share fundamental fears like dying and pain.
Born in Belgrade, former Yugoslavia, Abramovic's early work, like lying inside a burning communist star, reflected her complex relationship with communism. She describes a childhood shaped by communist parents and a highly spiritual grandmother, creating a 'love and hate' duality. Her exposure to figures like Tito taught her about transmitting energy and performing for a large public, experiences that later informed her work. She also created a Holocaust Memorial at Babyn Yar in Ukraine, which miraculously survived recent bombings, underscoring her engagement with global struggles.
Abramovic expresses dismay at ongoing global conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine, just months after dedicating a memorial for peace. She urges artists to maintain a broader vision of humanity, emphasizing that as humans on a 'tiny little blue dot,' we continue cycles of violence and destruction. Looking to the future, her exhibition at the Royal Academy features recordings of her past work and recreations by artists she has trained. She believes this ensures the legacy of performance art, comparing it to a phoenix that continually rises from its ashes, offering an 'unbeatable' direct energy and dialogue.