Marina Abramovic at Location ONE
| When | 31 Dec 1969 |
Marina Abramovic: Performing the Gallery/Performing the Museum
Tuesday, October 27, 2009, 6-8pm
Public Discussion with MARINA ABRAMOVIC presented by Jovana Stokic
Inauguration of ABRAMOVIC STUDIO at LOCATION ONE!!
: An evening to inaugurate the ‘Abramovic Studio’ at LOCATION ONE. Beginning October 2009, the studio brings performance artists together to explore durational works through experimental and expressive workshops and discussions.
: Prior to the inauguration of Abramovic Studio, Marina Abramovic gave a short talk about her personal investigation of performance art and its ability to transform time and space. She introduced us to her Manchester Whitworth Gallery exhibition, held July 3 – 19 2009, a piece shaped by an emptied Whitworth and an hour-long performance initiation lead by Abramović. She also spoke of the importance of minimal and ethnic integration in performance, and described transformative force as a need to create something new for oneself.
: Performance-based artists mentioned during talk include:
Yingmei Duan, Eun-hye Hwang, Terence Koh, Melati Suryodamo, Nikhil Chopra, Tehching Hsieh, Ivan Civic, Amanda Coogan, Kira O’Reilly and Nico Vascellari
: During the course of the presentation, Abramovic mentioned the outdatedness of manifestos but her need to call for its return. She recited her own, and in it described her beliefs on the obligations of an artist.
Poetically recited:
An artist should not lie
An artist should not make compromises
An artist should not make idols
An artist should not make himself into an idol
. . .
An artist’s relation to the erotic
An artist should develop an erotic point of view of the world
An artist should be erotic
An artist should be erotic
An artist’s relation to suffering
An artist should suffer
From the suffering comes the best work
Suffering brings transformation
Through the suffering an artist transcends the spirit
Through the suffering an artist transcends the spirit
Through the suffering an artist transcends the spirit
An artist’s relation to depression
An artist should not be depressed
Depression is disease and should be cured
Depression is not productive for an artist
Depression is not productive for an artist
An artist’s relation to suicide
Suicide is a crime against life
An artist should not commit suicide
An artist should not commit suicide
An artist’s relation to inspiration
An artist should look deep inside himself for inspiration
The deeper he looks inside himself, the more universal he becomes
The artist is universe
The artist is universe
The artist is universe
An artist’s relation to self-control
The artist should not have self-control about his life
The artist should have total self-control about his work
The artist should not have self-control about his life
The artist should have total self-control about his work
An artist’s relation to transparency
The artist should give and receive at the same time
Transparency means receptiveness
Transparency means to give
An artist’s relation to symbols
An artist creates his own symbols
Symbols are an artist’s language
The language must be translated
Sometimes it’s difficult to find the key
Sometimes it’s difficult to find the key
Sometimes it’s difficult to find the key
An artist’s relation to science
An artist has to understand science
An artist has to create a space for science to enter his work
Science is like an island in the middle of a turbulent ocean
Science is like an island in the middle of a turbulent ocean
Science is like an island in the middle of a turbulent ocean
An artist’s relation to solitude
An artist must make time for long periods of solitude
Solitude is extremely important
Away from home
Away from studio
Away from family
Away from friends
An artist should stay a long period time at the waterfalls
An artist should stay along period of time with exploding volcanoes
An artist should stay a long period of time looking at the fast running rivers
An artist should stay a long period of time looking at the horizon, where the ocean and sky meet
An artist should stay a long period of time looking at the stars in the night sky
An artist’s conduct in relation to work
An artist should avoid going into studio everyday
An artist should not treat his work schedule as a bank employee person
An artist should explore life and work only when the idea comes to him in a dream, a dream in the day as a vision that arrives as a surprise
An artist should not repeat himself
An artist should not overproduce
An artist should avoid his own art pollution
An artist should avoid his own art pollution
An artist should avoid his own art pollution
An artist’s possessions
Buddhist monks advise to have nine possessions in life:
One robe for summer
One robe for winter
One pair of shoes
One begging bowl for food
One sitonette
One prayer book
One umbrella
One mat to sleep on
One pair of glasses, if needed
An artist should decide for himself the minimum personal possessions for himself
An artist should have more and more of less and less
An artist should have more and more of less and less
An artist should have more and more of less and less
A list with artists’ friends
An artist should have friends that lift the spirit
An artist should have friends that lift the spirit
An artist should have friends that lift the spirit
A list with artists’ enemies
Enemies are very important
The Dalai Lama said that it’s easy to have compassion with friends but much more difficult to have compassion with enemies
An artist has to learn to forgive
An artist has to learn to forgive
An artist has to learn to forgive
Different death scenarios
An artist has to beware of his own mortality
For an artist it is not only important how he lives his life, but also how he dies
An artist should look at the symbols of his work for the sign of different death scenarios
An artist should die consciously without fear
An artist should die consciously without fear
An artist should die consciously without fear
Different funeral scenarios
An artist should give instructions before the funeral so that everything is done the way he wants it
The funeral is the artist’s last art piece before leaving
The funeral is the artist’s last art piece before leaving
The funeral is the artist’s last piece before leaving.
: Marina Abramović is a performance-based artist and pioneer of performance as visual art, alongside Bruce Nauman, Vito Acconci and Chris Burden. Since the beginning of her career in the early 1970s, she has used the body as both subject and medium. Exploring the physical and mental limits of her being, she has withstood pain, exhaustion and danger in the quest for emotional and spiritual transformation. She has created some of the most historic early performance pieces and continues to make important durational works. Abramović is represented by Sean Kelly Gallery.
: LOCATION ONE, 26 Greene Street, NY NY 10013 – Tel: 212.334.3347
Based in the Soho arts district of New York, Location One is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to fostering new forms of creative expression and cultural exchange through exhibitions, residencies, performances, public lectures and workshops. Traditionally focused on technological experimentation and new media, Location One’s residencies and programs have favored social and political discourse and dialogue, and acted as a catalyst for collaborations. With a unique environment providing individualized training, support, and guidance to each artist, as well as exposure for their creations and collaborations, Location One continues to nurture the spirit of experimentation that it considers the cornerstone of its mission.
