Latest news with #MarinaAbramović

Hypebeast
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hypebeast
New Show Traces the Love and Legacy of Marina Abramović and Ulay
For Marina Abramović and Ulay, their relationship was the medium. In 1988, they ended their personal and professional relationship with a final unforgettable act: walking from opposite ends of the Great Wall of China to meet and part for the last time as a duo. While the end of this era saw a rocky, bittersweet end, the shared spiritual synergy shared between the two continues to redefine the possibilities of contemporary performance art. Their life and legacy together returns to the spotlight with a new exhibition coming to Cukrarna Gallery in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Set to open on November 30, the artists' shared birthday, ART VITAL – 12 Years of Ulay / Marina Abramović marks the first show dedicated solely to their collaborative practice, from 1976 to 1988. Organized in thematic sections, the exhibition traces their evolution, from their first performance, Relation in Space performed at the Venice Biennale, to their swan song performance 'The Great Wall Walk' (1988). Seminal works like 'Rest Energy' (1980), 'Imponderabilia' (1977) sit beside never-before-seen letters, personal ephemeral and archival materials, offering an intimate glimpse of their shared practice. ART VITAL captures the physical, emotional and conceptual intensity of a partnership continually defined by endurance, risk and vulnerability. With a hard-edged interconnectedness with each other and the world around them, the years of Abramović and Ulay endure as a portrait of two artists who weren't afraid to risk it all. The exhibition will be accompanied by a reprint of the 'Relation Work and Detour' (1980) published by the artists. Head to Cukrarna's website to book your tickets now. Cukrarna Poljanski nasip 40, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia


Indian Express
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
And the Arts Oscar goes to…
The Praemium Imperiale — one of the world's most prestigious art awards, often cited as the 'Nobel Prize of the Arts' and 'Art Oscar' — have been announced. In its 36th year, the 2025 recipients across various categories are Peter Doig (UK) for painting, Marina Abramović (Serbia) for sculpture, Eduardo Souto de Moura (Portugal) for architecture, András Schiff (UK) for music, and Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker (Belgium) for theatre and cinema. 'These artists are recognised for their outstanding international achievements in the arts and their contributions to enriching the global community. Each laureate will receive an honorarium of 15 million yen and a testimonial letter. Prince Hitachi, Honorary Patron of the Japan Art Association, will present each laureate with a medal at the Awards Ceremony, which will be held in Tokyo on October 22, 2025,' noted the Praemium Imperiale website. A post shared by Praemium Imperiale (@praemiumimperiale) The website also describes the work of each recipient. It notes that Doig is widely recognised as a leading figure in the 'New Figurative Painting' movement, and has redefined the expressive potential of painting over a career spanning more than three decades. While Keersmaeker has been described as 'a leading force in the global contemporary dance scene', Moura, it highlights, is known for his belief that 'there is no universal architecture; everything is rooted in its own place.' Winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale in 1997 and 2005, Abramović, a pioneering figure in performance art, has been lauded for her engagements with the audience. The note elaborates: 'Pushing the limits of both body and mind, she has consistently challenged the boundaries of art in pursuit of its essence.'


Euronews
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Marina Abramović leads laureats for Praemium Imperiale arts awards
The Japan Art Association has revealed its laureates for the Praemium Imperiale, the awards widely known as the "Noble of the Arts" Serbian performance artist Marina Abramović has won the sculpture award for her long career of putting her life on the line and using her own body as a medium for her spectacular work. She first grabbed worldwide attention in 1974 with Rhythm 0 by inviting audiences to interact with her using one of 72 objects on a table at a Naples gallery. While people started tamely - offering her a rose or a kiss - the six hour performance ended with a loaded gun held to her head. Painting Scotsman Peter Doig is regarded as one of the world's most important and expensive living painters. His modernist creations are celebrated for their colour, composition and perspectives, weaving together history and everyday life. Many of his most well known works stem from the 20 years he spent living in Trinidad and Tobago and the relationships and real-life encounters he had on the Caribbean island. His works often sell for several million euros and perhaps to add to their intrinsic value, he only produces up to six paintings a year Architecture Eduardo Souto de Moura is known throughout Portugal and beyond for his minimalist approach to gaining maximum impact. His buildings have been widely praised for their functionality, careful use of natural materials and their unexpected dashes of colour. The 58-year-old also won the prestigious Pritzker Prize for architecture in 2011. Cinema and performing arts Choreographer and dancer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker has the added distinction of becoming the first Belgian to win the award for cinema and the performing arts. She's devised more than 60 pieces over her forty year career In 1982, she found fame with Fase: Four movements to the Music of Steve Reich; a ballet based on the music of Reich, himself a Praemium Imperiale winner in 2006. Music Hungarian-born pianist András Schiff is one of the world's leading interpreters of Bach and his music. Over the years he's also gained a reputation for using his platform to protest over politics, describing it as a moral duty. He lived in Austria for more than a decade and courted controversy for refusing to perform in 2007 to demonstrate against the formation of a government that included the far-right party of Joerg Haider. He's also voiced extreme concern over Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his combative and critical stance towards the European Union. Each laureate will receive 15 million yen, or approximately €92,000 at a ceremony to be held in Tokyo on October 22, 2025.


The Guardian
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
My cultural awakening: a Marina Abramović show helped me to stop hating my abusive father
On an unseasonably warm day in October 2023, I arrived, ahead of the queues, at London's Southbank Centre for a conceptual art takeover by the world-famous Marina Abramović Institute. I had recently read Marina's memoir Walk Through Walls, which had resonated. So, when I'd seen the event advertised – hours-long performances by artists she'd invited, curated and introduced by Marina – I bought a £60 ticket and waited for my time slot to enter the Queen Elizabeth Hall. I hadn't seen performance art before, and this was due to include her well-known work The Artist Is Present with an artist sitting, static and silent, in a chair all day, as Marina once did for an accumulated 736 hours and 30 minutes at the Museum of Modern Art. I felt certain that it would affect me, I just wasn't sure how. It came at an interesting time in my life. I was raised in a fundamentalist Christian family, the daughter of a priest who was physically abusive. I'd been in therapy for years, but my experiences still affected me and I'd recently cut contact with my father with my family. So, when I entered the first room at the Southbank where Marina was to spoke and introduce around a dozen artists, I was still coming to terms with this new way of dealing with my past. I was immediately drawn to one of the artists, a man from Myanmar who was to perform the chair piece with a cloth sack over his head. We heard how he'd been part of an organisation in Myanmar that opposed violence and therefore risked death if he was publicly identified. I was moved by what he was risking for his art. I also knew it was a hard piece; Marina wasn't going to give it to just anyone. As people moved between performers, I saw him, seated in the atrium, with a large crowd; I waited for a quieter moment to return. When I finally stood before him, I was overcome. I felt an urge to sit down in front of him and didn't care what others thought. I was compelled to do it for myself. I can't say how long I sat there, maybe an hour. In that time, I rewrote my definition of 'strength'. I used to think my father's aggression made him strong but now I saw someone using his muscular arms and legs to be still, for peaceful protest. I imagined the loss he must have experienced in war and the mental strength to sit there. I thought of what I'd read in Marina's book; how pain set in three hours into sitting still. I cried: the good tears, where you let part of your past go. It felt cleansing. When I left, I felt lighter. I decided that this would be my father figure now: this person who had strength but did not hurt me, who had reasons to be aggressive but did not direct his anger towards a six-year-old whispering in her brother's ear or disturbing his preaching, as my father had. It unlocked something in me. It gave me a positive male figure to replace what had gone before and helped me not to hate my father or men. It also unblocked the creativity that had laid dormant within me, an artistic side that had reminded me too much of my father's similar creative charisma. I started drawing: comic-books and illustrations. I'm an atheist but I believe there are spiritual moments you can choose to embrace: this, for me, was one. I think of it often. I even have the poster from the takeover in my toilet, serving as a daily reminder. I'm 41 and throughout life I've learned to expect the unexpected. Usually, when I go to see art it's to learn something new, and this was a big one. This changed me as a woman, as a soul, an immigrant, a creative, a child. That man gave himself to us as an artist and I accepted his gift. You can tell us how a cultural moment has prompted you to make a major life change by filling in the form below or emailing us on Please include as much detail as possible Please note, the maximum file size is 5.7 MB. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. If you include other people's names please ask them first.


The Guardian
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
My cultural awakening: a Marina Abramović show helped me to stop hating my abusive father
On an unseasonably warm day in October 2023, I arrived, ahead of the queues, at London's Southbank Centre for a conceptual art takeover by the world-famous Marina Abramović Institute. I had recently read Marina's memoir Walk Through Walls, which had resonated. So, when I'd seen the event advertised – hours-long performances by artists she'd invited, curated and introduced by Marina – I bought a £60 ticket and waited for my time slot to enter the Queen Elizabeth Hall. I hadn't seen performance art before, and this was due to include her well-known work The Artist Is Present with an artist sitting, static and silent, in a chair all day, as Marina once did for an accumulated 736 hours and 30 minutes at the Museum of Modern Art. I felt certain that it would affect me, I just wasn't sure how. It came at an interesting time in my life. I was raised in a fundamentalist Christian family, the daughter of a priest who was physically abusive. I'd been in therapy for years, but my experiences still affected me and I'd recently cut contact with my father with my family. So, when I entered the first room at the Southbank where Marina was to spoke and introduce around a dozen artists, I was still coming to terms with this new way of dealing with my past. I was immediately drawn to one of the artists, a man from Myanmar who was to perform the chair piece with a cloth sack over his head. We heard how he'd been part of an organisation in Myanmar that opposed violence and therefore risked death if he was publicly identified. I was moved by what he was risking for his art. I also knew it was a hard piece; Marina wasn't going to give it to just anyone. As people moved between performers, I saw him, seated in the atrium, with a large crowd; I waited for a quieter moment to return. When I finally stood before him, I was overcome. I felt an urge to sit down in front of him and didn't care what others thought. I was compelled to do it for myself. I can't say how long I sat there, maybe an hour. In that time, I rewrote my definition of 'strength'. I used to think my father's aggression made him strong but now I saw someone using his muscular arms and legs to be still, for peaceful protest. I imagined the loss he must have experienced in war and the mental strength to sit there. I thought of what I'd read in Marina's book; how pain set in three hours into sitting still. I cried: the good tears, where you let part of your past go. It felt cleansing. When I left, I felt lighter. I decided that this would be my father figure now: this person who had strength but did not hurt me, who had reasons to be aggressive but did not direct his anger towards a six-year-old whispering in her brother's ear or disturbing his preaching, as my father had. It unlocked something in me. It gave me a positive male figure to replace what had gone before and helped me not to hate my father or men. It also unblocked the creativity that had laid dormant within me, an artistic side that had reminded me too much of my father's similar creative charisma. I started drawing: comic-books and illustrations. I'm an atheist but I believe there are spiritual moments you can choose to embrace: this, for me, was one. I think of it often. I even have the poster from the takeover in my toilet, serving as a daily reminder. I'm 41 and throughout life I've learned to expect the unexpected. Usually, when I go to see art it's to learn something new, and this was a big one. This changed me as a woman, as a soul, an immigrant, a creative, a child. That man gave himself to us as an artist and I accepted his gift. You can tell us how a cultural moment has prompted you to make a major life change by filling in the form below or emailing us on Please include as much detail as possible Please note, the maximum file size is 5.7 MB. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. If you include other people's names please ask them first.