A Quiet Revolution in Contemporary Art

Marina Abramovic is making her presence felt in London through an opera, a new book, performances, and an eagerly anticipated retrospective at the Royal Academy of Arts, captivating audiences across various venues.

art, news

Marina Abramovic at the Royal Academy, London, from September 23, 2023, to January 1, 2024

Spanning a remarkable career of five decades, the Serbian artist Marina Abramovic has consistently pushed the boundaries of performance art. Her largest retrospective in the UK to date, which faced two postponements due to the pandemic, features installations, early work footage, and four restaged iconic performances by a cast she personally trained. Given that Abramovic's art has always revolved around her own body as both subject and medium, it promises to be intriguing to witness how performances like Nude with Skeleton (2002), where she reenacted the Tibetan practice of sleeping with the dead, translate when performed by her proteges.

Marina Abramovic: A Visual Autobiography (with Katya Tylevich)

Coming September 21st from Laurence King Publishing

In her characteristic fashion, Marina Abramovic blurs the boundaries of art and artist in this biographical masterpiece. Collaborating with Katya Tylevich, she delves into her extensive career, offering readers unprecedented insights with unpublished interviews and over 600 previously unreleased images capturing her creative journey.

Marina Abramovic Institute Takeover

Southbank Centre, London

4-8 October

For five days next month, the Marina Abramovic Institute (MAI) is transforming the entirety of the Queen Elizabeth Hall - from the auditorium to the dressing rooms - into a set for durational performances. Participating artists include Collective Absentia, Carla Adra and Yiannis Pappas, with Abramovic making an appearance on the first and last days of the festival.

The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions, musical adaptation

7 Deaths of Maria Callas

London Coliseum

November 3-11

Marina Abramovic's inaugural opera, inspired by the iconic soprano Maria Callas, premiered in Munich in 2020 and is now returning to the stage with a revival by the English National Opera. The production weaves a tapestry of arias synonymous with Callas, set against a backdrop of short films featuring Willem Dafoe and Abramovic herself, who also graces the stage as the ethereal embodiment of the singer's spirit.

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