Conquering the Fear: Marina AbramoviÄ's Daring Quest for Artistic Expression
Marina AbramoviÄ: The Fearless Pioneer of Performance Art, a 77-year-old icon who fearlessly challenges social norms, pushes her body to the limits, and conquers fear itself Dive into her extraordinary five-decade career of breaking boundaries and redefining art
Editors Note: Watch highlights of the interview with CNN Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour, which was featured on "Amanpour," above.
London, UK (CNN) Despite focusing heavily on mortality in her work, artist Marina AbramoviÄ may surprise many with her infectious joy for life.
Wandering through the main galleries of the Royal Academy of Arts in London, the Serbian artist, sometimes referred to as "the godmother of performance art," appeared lighthearted and excited. In an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour, she expressed her readiness to delve into stand-up comedy, describing herself as "hilarious in real life." This humorous outlook, she explained, was influenced by a near-death experience earlier in the year, emphasizing the need for laughter in her life.
Marina Abramovic sits on one of her artworks, "Red Dragon," during a photo call at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.
Henry Nicholls/AFP/Getty Images
However, AbramoviÄ's cheerful demeanor does not prevent her from pondering death constantly, as she mentioned while reflecting on a video of her 2002 performance "Nude with Skeleton," in which she lay naked with a skeleton. This piece is among four that will be reenacted live at the exhibition, which is scheduled to run until January.
"I just want to know how it feels," she remarked peacefully, referring to the "transition" from life to death.
Overcoming fear
At 77 years old, AbramoviÄ views her body as her instrument, pushing its limits in the pursuit of art. She has bravely faced immense pain and even lost consciousness during a performance, demonstrating her willingness to overcome fear and suffering.
Inside the secluded and intimate New York studios of famous artists
"Rhythm 0" (1974) by Marina AbramoviÄ.
Marina AbramoviÄ/Donatelli Sbarra
Her works inspired viewers to fully participate in the experience, blurring the lines between artist and audience. In a 1974 performance called "Rhythm 0," AbramoviÄ displayed numerous objects on a table and invited the audience to use them on her as they pleased. Initially, there was little interaction, but it quickly turned violent, with spectators tearing her clothes, cutting her skin, and even threatening her with a loaded gun. Looking back, she acknowledges that she was in danger of being killed.
First performed in 1977, "Imponderabilia" is a poignant examination of the human body and relationships. In this piece, Marina AbramoviÄ and her former partner Ulay stood naked in the entrance of a museum, forcing visitors to pass between them to enter. The intention behind this work was to emphasize the vital role of artists in the existence of museums. AbramoviÄ described their intention as wanting to symbolically become the museum's entrance.
Restaging "Imponderabilia" at the Royal Academy with the assistance of two nude models, the artist has agreed to provide a side door for visitors who wish to bypass the experience. She views this accommodation as a response to the "restrictions" that artists face in today's society.
"We used to have a radical approach to our work, but due to political correctness and other factors, we are no longer able to do so," she lamented.
Abramović and Ulay's love story resulted in over ten years of artistic partnerships. Their tale was commemorated in their 1988 performance "The Lovers," where the couple originally intended to traverse the Great Wall of China from opposite ends and wed once they reunited in the middle.
"Four Crosses," (2019) on show at AbramoviÄ's new exhibition at London's Royal Academy of Arts.
Guy Bell/Shutterstock
It took the Chinese authorities several years to approve the plan, during which time they had drifted apart.
"We never give up on anything," AbramoviÄ said, noting that they decided to change their approach for the piece: "Instead of getting married, we're going to say goodbye."
They walked for 90 days and documented the experience. "It was incredibly emotional," the artist told Amanpour.
The painter submerging viewers into hyperrealistic water worlds
The artist is present
After separating at the Great Wall, the pair went without seeing each other for over 20 years. Their unexpected reunion became famous in 2010 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York during AbramoviÄ's highly successful performance, "The Artist is Present," where she sat at a table for more than two weeks and invited visitors to sit silently across from her. Ulay was one of over 1,500 people who took her up on the offer.
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Ulay and Marina AbramoviÄ's emotional reunion at a performance of "The Artist is Present" at New York's Museum of Modern Art in 2010.
The people who sat across from AbramoviÄ showed a range of emotions, from solitude and pain to unhappiness and happiness. In this setting, there was no way to escape from one's true self, and Abramović could see this reflected in the individuals she encountered.
Abramović concluded her exhibition tour by sharing with Amanpour her deeply personal work that earned her a Golden Lion award at the Venice Biennale in 1997. Titled "Balkan Baroque," the piece was a response to the Balkan wars and involved the artist scrubbing a sea of bloody cow bones with a metal brush for four days. She explained that the purpose was "to create a metaphor that this can be in any war, anywhere."
She ended by stating, "Palestinians, Israelis, Ukrainians, Russians - they're all here in this room."
