S18, Ep6 Marina Abramovic: one of the greatest living artists on performance, passion and power
Oct 11, 2023
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Marina Abramovic, one of the greatest living artists, talks about fear, love, introversion, performance, and failure. She reflects on her childhood, the significance of sound in her performances, and the transformative power of forgiveness. The podcast also explores the power of vulnerability and redefining failure, as well as her complex relationships with her mother and a 12-year collaborator.
Failure is essential for discovering and creating something new.
Marina Abramovic's upbringing in communist Yugoslavia and her escape through art shaped her artistic journey.
Embracing physical pain and allowing oneself to grieve can lead to healing and transformative art.
Deep dives
The Power of Failure and Learning
Marina Abramovich discusses the importance of failure, emphasizing that failure is essential for discovering and creating something new. She believes that failure is a part of the process of going into unknown territories and that it teaches us how to grow and succeed. She also expresses the significance of commitment and following the rules within artistic performances, as well as the transformative power of art in conveying emotions and connecting with the audience. Marina reflects on her personal experiences with heartbreak and the importance of allowing oneself to grieve and go through the pain. Overall, she believes in the power of vulnerability, acceptance, and transcendence in both art and life.
The Influence of Marina Abramovich's Upbringing and Background
Marina Abramovich shares personal insights into her upbringing in communist Yugoslavia and its influence on her work. She talks about the strict regime and control in her family, the challenges she faced as a young artist, and her escape through art. Marina reflects on the mixture of influences she received, including both religious and communist ideologies, and how these diverse experiences shaped her artistic journey. She also expresses her desire for freedom and independence, which led her to prioritize her artistic path over conforming to societal expectations.
Marina Abramovich's Notable Works and Collaborations
Marina Abramovich recounts significant moments and collaborations in her career. She highlights her endurance-based performances and the incorporation of sound and the body into her art. She mentions her collaboration with Uli, the German artist who became an important collaborator and partner in both her personal and artistic life. Marina also discusses her pioneering work in performance art, her efforts to bring mainstream recognition to this medium, and her passion for passing on her knowledge through her institute and the Marina Abramovich Method.
Embracing Pain and Freedom in Marina Abramovich's Art
Marina Abramovich delves into the themes of pain and freedom in her work. She discusses the importance of embracing physical pain and pushing oneself to overcome the fear associated with it. Marina shares personal experiences of enduring physical pain and using performance art to liberate herself from the fear of pain. She also emphasizes that her art aims to connect with audiences on a deep emotional level, inviting them to explore their own relationship with pain and human experience. Marina ultimately believes in the transformative power of art and the potential for it to inspire others to push beyond their own limitations.
Marina Abramovich's Reflections on Heartbreak and Healing
Marina Abramovich opens up about her personal experiences with heartbreak and the process of healing. She discusses the profound grief that comes with heartbreak and the importance of allowing oneself to cry and feel the pain. Marina shares her journey of finding acceptance and forgiveness, both for herself and others, as a means of moving forward. She also discusses the therapeutic aspect of her art, particularly her theater piece that allowed her to express and process her pain. Marina advises embracing the difficult emotions and transforming them into transformative works of art.
It is impossible to put into words how much I adored this conversation. Which, in a way, is apt because Marina Abramovic is one of our greatest living artists and renowned for expressing through her work, the thoughts, feelings and emotional impulses that lie beyond words.
Born in 1946 in post-war Yugoslavia, she painted from the age of 14 and spent the next 50 years pushing herself to extremes of physical and mental endurance in search of fundamental truths. Last month, her exhibition opened at the Royal Academy in London - the first solo show by a woman in the RA’s main galleries.
But if all this sounds quite serious, fear not - in person, Abramovic is a wonderful, engaging and light-hearted presence, full of wisdom and profound thoughts but also a lot of giggles. We talk about fear and belonging, love and heartbreak (and how to get over someone), introversion and performance, and she teaches me all about what Christopher Columbus can tell us about failure.
One of my favourite ever episodes - and that's saying something.
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Marina Abramovic at the Royal Academy runs until 1 January 2024. Book your tickets here. A full schedule of performances can be found here.
