Friday, July 20, 2012
Marina Abramovic - The Artist is Present
I caught the HBO documentary The Artist is Present the
other night, which chronicles the 2010 MOMA retrospective on performance artist
Marina Abramovic. Powerful. I didn't think I was familiar with the work of the
self-described "grandmother of performance art" before I saw
this film. However, I quickly realized that I actually was familiar with her; I
just didn't know it. Marina has been exploring the limitations of the body, the
relationship between artist and audience and challenging the state of
consciousness for over three decades. In her retrospective at MOMA the title
says it all; she is literally just present. Seated on a chair within a taped
off boxed space she invites her audience to sit across from her in silence,
that's it. However, what transpires is surprisingly moving. It's incredible to
watch what bubbles to the surface when humans allow themselves to calm down,
sit in silence and be present in the moment. The emotions that the strangely
inquisitive and penetratingly calm gaze of Marina stir in her audience truly is
art. It asks questions, challenges its audience and forces everyone to look
within himself. I found the piece and the documentary truly fascinating. I
highly recommend it.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Friday, July 13, 2012
Thursday, July 12, 2012
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