marina abramović: the artist is present
MoMA, new york
on now until may 31st, 2010

'the artist is present' is performance artist's marina abramović's (yugoslavia, b. 1946) first large-scale
retrospective at an american museum, which tracks her career spanning over the last four decades.
the show presents approximately 50 of abramović's works which include, interventions
and sound pieces, video works, installations, photography, solo and collaborative performances
done with artist ulay (uwe lyasiepen) her partner from 1975 to 1988.

'holding milk' (the kitchen series), 2009
still from video (color, sound), 12:34 min
© 2010 marina abramović
courtesy of the artist and sean kelly gallery / artists rights society (ARS), new york


'portrait with flowers', 2009
black-and-white gelatin silver print
photo: marco anelli
© 2010 marina abramović
courtesy of the artist and sean kelly gallery / artists rights society (ARS), new york


'portrait with firewood', 2009
black-and-white gelatin silver print
photo: marco anelli
© 2010 marina abramović
courtesy of the artist and sean kelly gallery / artists rights society (ARS), new york




installation view of marina abramović's performance 'the artist is present' at the museum of modern art, 2010
© 2010 marina abramović
courtesy the artist and sean kelly gallery / artists rights society (ARS), new york
photo by scott rudd

internationally recognized as a pioneer and key figure in performance art, abramović uses
her own body as subject, object and medium, exploring physical and mental limits of her being.
known for her durational works, abramović has created a new work for this retrospective entitled
'the artist is present' (2010) in which she is performing daily in MoMA's donald b.
and catherine c. marron atrium during public hours. for this longest solo piece to date,
she will sit in silence at a table, inviting visitors to take the seat across from her for as long as they
choose within the timeframe of the museum's hours of operation. she will not respond to the participants,
but their involvement completes the work, allowing them to have a personal experience the the artist
and the performance piece itself.

you can watch a live feed of the performance here.


installation view of marina abramović's performance 'the artist is present' at the museum of modern art, 2010
© 2010 marina abramović
courtesy the artist and sean kelly gallery / artists rights society (ARS), new york
photo by scott rudd


installation view of marina abramović's performance 'the artist is present' at the museum of modern art, 2010
© 2010 marina abramović
courtesy the artist and sean kelly gallery / artists rights society (ARS), new york
photo by scott rudd


installation view of marina abramović's performance 'the artist is present' at the museum of modern art, 2010
© 2010 marina abramović
courtesy the artist and sean kelly gallery / artists rights society (ARS), new york
photo by scott rudd


installation view of marina abramović's performance 'the artist is present' at the museum of modern art, 2010
© 2010 marina abramović
courtesy the artist and sean kelly gallery / artists rights society (ARS), new york
photo by scott rudd




marina abramović and ulay
'breathing in / breathing out'
first performed in 1977 for 19 miuntes at the student cultural center, belgrade
16 mm film transferred to video (black and white, sound), 10:26
© 2010 marina abramović
courtesy the artist and sean kelly gallery / artists rights society (ARS), new york
reperformed continuously in shifts throughout the exhibition 'marina abramović: the artist is present' at MoMA



the exhibition is a chronological installation reflecting, documenting and exhibiting abramović's
ephemeral time and media based works. within the show, five of her most influential pieces
will be 'reperformed' by a group of 39 performers chosen by abramović herself. these reperformances
will be shown continuously in shifts throughout public hours in the sixth floor galleries.
they are: 'imponderabilia', 'point of contact', 'luminosity', 'nude with skeleton' and 'relation in time'.


marina abramović and ulay
'relation in time', 1977 / 2010
originally performed at 1977 for 17 hours at studio G7, bologna
still from 16mm film transferred to video (black and white, sound), 50:33 min
© 2010 marina abramović
courtesy the artist and sean kelly gallery / artists rights society (ARS), new york
reperformed continuously in shifts throughout the exhibition 'marina abramović: the artist is present' at MoMA

in 'relation in time', two performers sit quietly, connected to each other by their
long hair, which is tied together.


marina abramović and ulay
'point of contact', 1980 / 2010
originally performed in 1980 for one hour at de appel gallery, amsterdam
production image (black and white) for 16mm film transferred to video (color, silent), 19:06 min
© 2010 marina abramović
courtesy the artist and sean kelly gallery / artists rights society (ARS), new york
reperformed continuously in shifts throughout the exhibition 'marina abramović: the artist is present' at MoMA

'point of contact' sees two performers stand face to face with arms bent,
just barely touching the tip of each other's index finger.


marina abramović and ulay
'imponderabilia', 1977 / 2010
originally performed in 1977 for 90 min
galleria comunale d'arte moderna, bologna
still from 16 mm film transferred to video (black and white, sound) 52:16 min
© 2010 marina abramović
courtesy the artist and sean kelly gallery / artists rights society (ARS), new york
reperformed continuously in shifts throughout the exhibition 'marina abramović: the artist is present' at MoMA

in 'imponderabilia', two nude performers stand opposite each other in a doorway
so visitors who wish to pass must move through the gap between the two,
deciding to face him or her.


'nude with skeleton', 2002-2005 / 2010
black-and-white photograph
50 x 80 1/4 (125 x 145 cm)
© 2010 marina abramović
courtesy the artist and sean kelly gallery / artists rights society (ARS), new york
reperformed continuously in shifts throughout the exhibition 'marina abramović: the artist is present'at MoMA

a nude performer lies beneath a skeleton, animating it with the motions of his or her breathing
in the piece 'nude with skeleton'.


'luminosity', 1997 / 2010
originally performed in 1997 for two hours at sean kelly gallery, new york, 2997
still video (color, sound), 4:45 min
© 2010 marina abramović
courtesy the artist and sean kelly gallery / artists rights society (ARS), new york

in 'luminosity', a nude performer is suspended high upon a wall and immersed in light,
giving the appearance of floating before the wall.

installation view of marina abramović's 'balkan baroque', the museum of modern art, 2010
© 2010 marina abramović
courtesy of the artist and sean kelly gallery / artists rights society (ARS), new york
photo by jason mandella

'balkan baroque' was originally performed in 1997 for four days, six hours each day at the
47th venice art biennale. it consists of three-channel video (color, sound), copper sinks
and tub filled with black water, bucket, soap, metal brush, dress stained with blood.


entrance to the exhibition 'marina abramović: the artist is present', the museum of modern art, 2010
© 2010 marina abramović
musée d'art contemporain de lyon; video and sound environment courtesy the artist and sean kelly gallery /
aritsts rights society (ARS), new york
photo by jason mandella

in the above photo: marina abramović and ulay, 'relation in movement', 1977.
video (black and white, silent), sound environment (2010), citroën type H bus,
fourteen black-and-white photographs and megaphone 34:50 min.

this exhibition has organized by klaus biesenbach, director, P.S. 1 contemporary art center,
and chief curator at large, the museum of modern art.