Marina Abramovic is a Serbian performance artist and the world’s most renowned performance artist. Born in Belgrade, Serbia in 1946, she has been working in the medium of performance art for over five decades. Her works explore the relationship between artist and audience, pushing the boundaries of physical and mental endurance.
Abramovic's early works in the late 1960s and 1970s included body art and installations, such as Rhythym 10 in which she repeatedly stabbed her hand with a knife. Her performances often combine elements of ritual and self-inflicted pain, and are often seen as a form of meditation. She draws inspiration from her cultural and religious heritage, examining the ritualistic and spiritual aspects of human life.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Abramovic began exploring the relationship between artist and audience in her work, often involving audience participation. She has collaborated with other artists, such as Ulay, with whom she had a romantic relationship and produced a series of performances known as the ‘Relation Works’. These often involved the two of them in extreme physical and mental endurance tests.
Abramovic has had many solo exhibitions, including a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2010. She has also received numerous awards, including the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Biennale in 1997.
Abramovic is also well-known for her work in the film industry, having appeared in a number of films including The Look of Love (2008) and The Human Voice (2012). In the early 2000s, she also made a series of short films, focusing on the themes of her performances.
Abramovic has been described as a ‘living legend’ and continues to push the boundaries of performance art. Her work is seen as a powerful exploration of the human experience and has inspired many other artists. She is an example of art as an expression of the human condition, and her works continue to inspire and challenge audiences around the world.
