The most famous performance artist, Marina Abramović, supports the Ukrainian people by re-staging one of the most famous performances, The Artist is Present.
“Now, it is no longer just about Ukraine. It is about all of us. It is about humanity. It is about the possibility of facing a Third World War using nuclear weapons. It is a situation where we all have to act, and I can only act with my instruments, and this is my art,” said the artist.
The charity auction, organized by Sean Kelly Gallery in collaboration with Artsy, proposes for sale two unique lots consisting of two photographs of Marina Abramović. The first item is an individual portrait of the artist. The second item is for two portraits with the artist.
The auctioneers will have the privilege of sitting face to face with Marina Abramović in one of the most famous performances, staged for the first time two teen years ago on the occasion of the retrospective exhibition dedicated to the artist at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
The two auctioned photographs will be taken by the famous photographer Marco Anelli, who photographically documented the performance in 2010, when for three months seven hours a day, six days a week, Marina Abramović watched without interruption hundreds of people eager to stand face to face with her. The crowd flocked to spend a few moments in the presence of the artist. Some of them slept overnight in front of the museum. People entered with an order slip. There were security guards everywhere and strict visiting rules.
Sitting on a wooden chair, Abramović greeted each visitor with a fixed but warm look. The people who sat on the wooden chair face to face with the artist were deeply moved. Many of them began to cry. Marked by the experience they created a Facebook group with the headline “Marina made me cry”.
The exhibition attracted more than 850 thousand visitors, among them famous people such as Lou Reed, Lady Gaga, and Björk. But the most emotional moment remains the appearance of the artist’s former collaborator and lover, Ulay, who unexpectedly joined her for a few minutes.
For over five decades Marina Abramović, the Serbian-born artist, has tested her own physical and mental limits and explored the relationship between the artist and the public through performances such as Rhythm 0 (1974), Self-Death (1976), Rest Energy (1980), Balkan Baroque (1997) or The Artist Is Present (2010). The artist used her own body to express her ideas. Each of her performances challenged her and the audience emotionally, intellectually, and physically.
The charity auction is open until March 25. The performance will take place on April 16 at the Sean Kelly Gallery in New York, where Abramović has a personal exhibition on display.
The money obtained from the sale of the two lots will be directed to Direct Relief, a non-governmental organization in the USA, which at the moment is cooperating intensively with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, providing them with medical aid and equipment.
Cover photo: mymodernmet.com
