#the artist is present

[andanteostinato]

Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present (2012) dir: Matthew Akers

[oneinchbarrier]

[dreamy-conceit]

I come from communism. I never had dolls to play with. When I was young, I was playing with invisible beings and shadows. I never liked objects. This is why I became a performance artist.

— Marina Abramović (available on TikTok 21 Jan 2024)

[darcysolace]

Rest energy; Marina Abramović and Ulay, 1980

Marina Abramović and Ulay were two performance artists in the 1980's. They met, fell in love and performed together. All their performances explore the limitations of the mind, the body, the artist-public relationship and trust.

One of their most famous performances, Rest energy, is based on complete trust. They both balance a bow and arrow between them. The arrow is pointed at Abramović's heart. One slip from Ulay could kill her. They also have microphones near their hearts, amplifying the sound of their heartbeats. They stay like this for a few minutes, staring into each other's eyes, their heartbeats speeding up the longer they have to stay still.

Another performance of theirs, the Lovers, is quite famous. They planned on walking the Great Wall in China from opposite sides, meet in the middle and marry. Due to skepticism from Chinese authorities, it took 5 years for them to finally be allowed and organise everything.

They walked each their own half of the Great Wall in 90 days, meeting in the middle with everything prepared. But in the 5 years needed to green-light the project, the lovers grew apart. Instead of marrying, they broke up and went their seperate ways. It would take 22 years for them to meet again.

The artist is present; Marina Abramović, 2009

In 2009, Marina Abramović did a performance in which she would sit at the same spot every day for 8 hours, and the visitors were welcomed to sit down across from her and hold her gaze for as long as they wished. Holding her gaze was all they could do, no other contact was allowed.

On opening night, Ulay stepped from the crowd and sat down across from Abramović, nervously stretching his legs, fixing his jacket and waiting for her to open her eyes. Once she did, she had a moment of recognition, before smiling at him. He smiled back and they just looked at each other for a bit, until Abramović broke her own no-contact rule and reached over the table to hold his hands. He laughed, they held hands and spoke to each other. The lovers, reunited again after 22 years.

The artist is present; Marina Abramović and Ulay holding hands, 2009

[2as2gs]

Vidas soñadas

Sé que nuestra relación no terminó de mutuo acuerdo en mitad de la gran muralla, después de andar desde extremos opuestos, y abrazarnos.

Soy consciente que la palabra arte se reserva para aquello hecho por vez primera, y que solo unos pocos genios lo logran.

Quizás nuestro reencuentro no será en extremos opuestos de una mesa, ni mantendremos nuestra mirada impertérritos un largo minuto con lágrimas en los ojos y dolor en el alma.

Pero imagino, que al menos podemos quedar para un café, y me dejarás leerte lo que escribí para ti en este tiempo.

[pam3pr]

Day 61, Portrait 1

Kim Cattrall. At Marina Abramović’s The Artist Is Present.

Photo by Marco Anelli

2010

[thingstol00kat]

The Artist is Present by Marina Abramovic

[schibborasso]

das schwierigste ist, etwas zu tun, das dem nichts tun nahe kommt

[easierwithoutyou]

I miss you

[britecrawler]

al fresco office hours tryna make zo proud he's a triple pisces like mr rogers the whole thing is such a trip man just glad to be along for the ride

[meziniart]

Ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves

[avenoirn]

brothers, wherever we are

[oneinchbarrier]

[donmecheart]

Headcanon that Viktor has not lost sensitivity only in the “cracks” of his skin

[70sscifiart]

Here, have some good phone lockscreens

[miioozie]

shut up and calm down, man.