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Marina Abramović
Since the beginning of her career in Belgrade during the early 1970s, Marina Abramovic has pioneered the use of performance as a visual art form. The body has always been both her subject and her medium, and she has withstood pain, exhaustion and danger in her ongoing quest for emotional and spiritual transformation. As a vital member of the generation of pioneering performance artists that includes Bruce Nauman, Vito Acconci, and Chris Burden, Abramovic created some of the most historic early performance pieces. Of these artists, she is the only one still making important durational works.
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160 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 2002
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About the author
Marina Abramović
86 books751 followersSince the beginning of her career in Belgrade during the early 1970s, Marina Abramovic has pioneered performance as a visual art form, creating some of the most important early works. The body has always been both her subject and medium. Exploring her physical and mental limits in works that ritualize the simple actions of everyday life, she has withstood pain, exhaustion and danger in her quest for emotional and spiritual transformation. From 1975–88, Abramovic and the German artist Ulay performed together, dealing with relations of duality. Abramovic returned to solo performances in 1989.
She has presented her work at major institutions in the US and Europe, including the Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven,1985; Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, 1990; Neue National Galerie, Berlin, 1993, and the Museum of Modern Art, Oxford, 1995. She has also participated in many large-scale international exhibitions including the Venice Biennale (1976 and 1997) and Documenta VI, VII and IX, Kassel (1977, 1982 and 1992). Recent performances include "The House With The Ocean View" at Sean Kelly Gallery, New York in 2002, and the Performance "7 Easy Pieces" at Guggenheim Museum, New York in 2005. In 2010, Abramovic had her first major U.S. retrospective and simultaneously performed for over 700 hours in “The Artist is Present” at Museum of Modern Art, New York. Using herself and the public as medium, Abramovic performed for three months at the Serpentine Gallery in London, 2014; the piece was titled after the duration of the work, “512 Hours”.
She was awarded the Golden Lion for Best Artist at the 1997 Venice Biennale for the video installation and performance “Balkan Baroque.” In 2008 she was decorated with the Austrian Commander Cross for her contribution to Art History. In 2013, the French Minister of Culture accepted her as an Officer to the Order of Arts and Letters. In addition to these and other awards, Abramovic also holds multiple honorary doctorates from institutions around the world.
Abramovic founded the Marina Abramovic Institute (MAI), a platform for immaterial and long durational work to create new possibilities for collaboration among thinkers of all fields. The institute inhabited its most complete form to date in 2016 in collaboration with NEON in “As One”, Benaki Museum, Athens.
She has presented her work at major institutions in the US and Europe, including the Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven,1985; Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, 1990; Neue National Galerie, Berlin, 1993, and the Museum of Modern Art, Oxford, 1995. She has also participated in many large-scale international exhibitions including the Venice Biennale (1976 and 1997) and Documenta VI, VII and IX, Kassel (1977, 1982 and 1992). Recent performances include "The House With The Ocean View" at Sean Kelly Gallery, New York in 2002, and the Performance "7 Easy Pieces" at Guggenheim Museum, New York in 2005. In 2010, Abramovic had her first major U.S. retrospective and simultaneously performed for over 700 hours in “The Artist is Present” at Museum of Modern Art, New York. Using herself and the public as medium, Abramovic performed for three months at the Serpentine Gallery in London, 2014; the piece was titled after the duration of the work, “512 Hours”.
She was awarded the Golden Lion for Best Artist at the 1997 Venice Biennale for the video installation and performance “Balkan Baroque.” In 2008 she was decorated with the Austrian Commander Cross for her contribution to Art History. In 2013, the French Minister of Culture accepted her as an Officer to the Order of Arts and Letters. In addition to these and other awards, Abramovic also holds multiple honorary doctorates from institutions around the world.
Abramovic founded the Marina Abramovic Institute (MAI), a platform for immaterial and long durational work to create new possibilities for collaboration among thinkers of all fields. The institute inhabited its most complete form to date in 2016 in collaboration with NEON in “As One”, Benaki Museum, Athens.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 16, 2010
A Fascinating Collection of Examples of the Art of Marina Abramovic
Yugoslavian artist Marina Abramovic (1946) has simply taken art to another level: while painters and sculptors strive diligently to recreate reality and suggest the emotions of pain and longing, Abramovic succeeds - using her own body and brilliant imagination to make us witness the unwitnessible/unwitnessable. She is the standard bearer for performance art - in many ways being the creator of this medium. In this excellent book There is a very interesting conversation between Klaus Biesenbach and Marina Abramovic that allows the reader (and viewer) many insights as to how the artist selects her subject matter and how she displays it.
Abramovic is known for the painfully self-inflicted traumas she has experienced for the sake of art and episodes from her extended (sometimes for days) performance pieces are included here. Essayists Chrissie Ives and Kristine Stiles help the novice reader to understand the importance of Abramovic's imagination, but the best way to appreciate what the artist does is peruse the generous photographs that document her performances - both of her own body and of the groups of people who willingly participate in her ventures. (For example, there is included a richly colored photograph of rows of Oriental soldiers in full dress except for the quiet exposure of each man's erection!)
For those who are new to the increasingly important aspect of performance art, this book is as fine an introduction as any on the market. One only wishes that it contained a DVD of some of the actual art pieces here frozen in time by the camera. Marina Abramovic is an artist of the highest order and one whose importance in the art world is generally regarded as the finest. Highly recommended.
Grady Harp
Yugoslavian artist Marina Abramovic (1946) has simply taken art to another level: while painters and sculptors strive diligently to recreate reality and suggest the emotions of pain and longing, Abramovic succeeds - using her own body and brilliant imagination to make us witness the unwitnessible/unwitnessable. She is the standard bearer for performance art - in many ways being the creator of this medium. In this excellent book There is a very interesting conversation between Klaus Biesenbach and Marina Abramovic that allows the reader (and viewer) many insights as to how the artist selects her subject matter and how she displays it.
Abramovic is known for the painfully self-inflicted traumas she has experienced for the sake of art and episodes from her extended (sometimes for days) performance pieces are included here. Essayists Chrissie Ives and Kristine Stiles help the novice reader to understand the importance of Abramovic's imagination, but the best way to appreciate what the artist does is peruse the generous photographs that document her performances - both of her own body and of the groups of people who willingly participate in her ventures. (For example, there is included a richly colored photograph of rows of Oriental soldiers in full dress except for the quiet exposure of each man's erection!)
For those who are new to the increasingly important aspect of performance art, this book is as fine an introduction as any on the market. One only wishes that it contained a DVD of some of the actual art pieces here frozen in time by the camera. Marina Abramovic is an artist of the highest order and one whose importance in the art world is generally regarded as the finest. Highly recommended.
Grady Harp
May 26, 2019
I don't think this book succeeds in introducing an artist's oeurve or providing well-argued(instead of highfalutin) interpretation to an artist's work. The opening interview is verging on the banal with little flow, followed by an interpretive essay that might appear to be more shallow than usual.
Like most other books about performance artist (probably except Tsieh Teh-ching?), the reader should be ready to find videos online to supplement the book. Not much is lost by skipping the texts altogether.
Like most other books about performance artist (probably except Tsieh Teh-ching?), the reader should be ready to find videos online to supplement the book. Not much is lost by skipping the texts altogether.
August 2, 2012
What a dark, damaged and yet strong and fighting soul Marina is...
The worst part was the long, boring essay by Kristine Stiles - what a nonsense bullshit... The best part, of course, was Marina in pictures and text.
The worst part was the long, boring essay by Kristine Stiles - what a nonsense bullshit... The best part, of course, was Marina in pictures and text.
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July 18, 2014709.49707 S856 2008
November 6, 2014
my favorite part of this book was the section called "small stories" in which marina tells a few anecdotes about her life. they are incredible.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews