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thenewinquiry:

Abramović’s call for artists was, as the Los Angeles Times quoted, for “strong, silent types.” I am certainly strong, but I am not comfortable with silence in this situation. I refuse to be a silent artist regarding issues that affect my livelihood and the culture of my practice.

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(Source: thenewinquiry)

I’m about a month late on this, but I went to The Legacy of Performance symposium at MOMA in early June. Since Marina Abramović has been one of my few recurring topics here, a little belated postscript seems in order. Though I only visited the MOMA show once in person, I would check in on the webcam and the Flickr set every so often and read many accounts from those who sat with her. Marina Galperina’s afterthoughts are fairly encompassing, and there are a bunch of photos from the talk.

What impressed me about the show overall was despite living in a culture which has become so overloaded with performances by “normal” people (e.g., reality television), an art exhibit based around performance could still shake people up. Partially the performances are more compelling than those on television because they involve actual people. But the often interactive nature of the performances is a factor as well; several of the artists who worked on the recreations made reference to this. Instead of it becoming just another passive witnessing of other people’s performances, anyone able to get to MOMA could become part of a piece, not just those willing to wait all day to sit with Marina, but those who chose to walk through the doorway of Imponderabilia. Even other pieces that appeared to create a passive viewing would spark interaction as simple as someone whispering into the artist’s ear. There were a lot of stirring stories, and it sounds like there will be a project to collect these.

The duration record actually went to Paco Blancas, who also sat with Marina twenty-one separate times. They spoke for the first time during this talk, and it was one of the many emotional moments. Perhaps the biggest one was when the photographer Marco Anelli, who photographed each person who sat with Marina, spoke briefly about witnessing each person’s experience, namely the moments when someone would tear up and cry. In the end, I think it was the feeling of sharing something deeply emotional with the artists and other witnesses that made the experience so unique and memorable.

Jason Kottke collects some experiences of those who have sat with Marina Abramović, including James Westcott’s account in the Guardian of opening night when she looked up to find her ex-boyfriend and longtime collaborator Ulay sitting across from her. (Their work together comprises a large portion of the rest of the exhibit.)

Not that it’s a competition, but this woman seems to have edged out Anya Liftig for the duration record by just five minutes.

(Photo: Joshua Bright for The New York Times)

Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present at MoMA

As part of Abramović’s performance retrospective, she is performing all day (during museum hours), nearly every day, sitting silently at a table in the second floor atrium and one guest at a time can sit with her. I was surprised at first how many people seemed drawn there and then stayed longer than just a few minutes, but then I found it unexpectedly compelling to witness as well. So much of her work has that same initial discomfort followed by fascination, as she approaches what many would describe as arduous, painful, and at times violent physical trials with a meditative calm.

The slideshow documents each participant, noting the date, time, and duration of their visit with Abramović. You can also watch live.

Brooklyn artist Anya Liftig has the duration record at 386 minutes, calling her piece “The Anxiety of Influence.”