A condensed chronostory of When, Where, and What. Enjoy.
Rhythm 10 (1973) - Student Cultural Center, Belgrade, Yugoslavia Abramovic used ten knives to repeatedly stab between her fingers, exploring the relationship between the artist's body and the potential for self-inflicted harm.
Rhythm 5 (1974) - Student Cultural Center, Belgrade, Yugoslavia She created a five-pointed star out of wood, doused it in petrol, and set it on fire. Abramovic then lay down inside the burning star until she lost consciousness.
Rhythm 2 (1974) - Studio G3, Zagreb, Yugoslavia. The performance took place in the Zagreb Gallery of Modern Art, during which she first drank a pill, paralyzing muscles and intended for the treatment of catatonia syndrome (motor disorders)
Rhythm 0 (1974) - Studio Morra, Naples, Italy In this performance, Abramovic placed 72 objects on a table, including items like a feather, a rose, a whip, a scalpel, a gun, and a bullet. She invited the audience to use the objects on her as they wished, exploring the boundaries of trust and vulnerability.
Lips of Thomas (1975) - Gallery Krinzinger, Innsbruck, Austria. In ‘Lips of Thomas’, Abramović characteristically pushes the body to extreme limits. The performance involves Abramović carving the pentagram onto her naked body. By using her body as a canvas, she is exposing avowedly political themes relating to physical torture. The religious symbol is highlighted in the drawing of blood.
Rest Energy (1980) - Gallery Giorgio Persano, Turin, Italy Abramovic and Ulay faced each other with a bow and arrow, positioned such that the arrow was pointed at Abramovic's heart. They pulled the bowstring to the maximum tension, highlighting the balance between life and death.
The Lovers: The Great Wall Walk (1988) - Great Wall of China, China Abramovic and Ulay started at opposite ends of the Great Wall of China, aiming to meet in the middle and end their relationship. They walked for three months, each starting from one end of the wall, but when they finally met in the middle, they decided to separate and parted ways.
Anima Mundi (1992) - Documenta IX, Kassel, Germany Abramovic performed this work during the Documenta IX art exhibition. She covered her head with a golden mask and stood with her arms outstretched, symbolizing spiritual transformation and connecting with the universe.
Balkan Baroque (1997) - Venice Biennale, Italy Abramovic represented her native country, Serbia, in the Venice Biennale. She spent four days in a darkened space, cleaning 1,500 cow bones with a metal brush, symbolizing the process of healing and confronting the traumatic history of the Balkans.
The House with the Ocean View (2002) - Sean Kelly Gallery, New York, USA Abramovic lived in a small, elevated structure inside the gallery for 12 days. She had no food and minimal personal items, and she interacted with the audience through the transparent walls, exploring themes of vulnerability and isolation.
Seven Easy Pieces (2005) - Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, USA Abramovic recreated seminal performance works by other artists, including Joseph Beuys, Bruce Nauman, and Valie Export, among others. Over the course of seven evenings, she performed each piece live at the Guggenheim Museum in New York.
The Artist Is Present (2010) - Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, USA Abramovic sat silently at a table for a total of 736 hours and 30 minutes, while visitors were invited to sit across from her. The piece focused on the power of presence and human connection.
512 Hours (2014) - Serpentine Gallery, London, UK Abramovic created an immersive installation where visitors were invited to enter a space and participate in a durational performance. The piece aimed to explore the nature of presence, perception, and human interaction.
Generator (2014) - Sean Kelly Gallery, New York, USA Abramovic created an installation that featured a rotating cast of live performers who followed a set of instructions and engaged in repetitive actions. The work explored the relationship between performer and audience, as well as the boundaries of endurance.
The Cleaner (2017) - Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Sweden This retrospective exhibition showcased Abramovic's works spanning five decades, including performances, photographs, videos, and installations. It provided a comprehensive overview of her artistic practice and exploration of the body and the self.
7 Deaths of Maria Callas (2020) - Bavarian State Opera, Munich, Germany Abramovic directed an opera that reimagined the deaths of seven famous female opera characters, with herself embodying the role of Maria Callas, who died of an
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