Marina Ambramović is the godmother of performance art. Nobody holds an audience's attention like she does. In September, an exhibition spanning her 50 year career is coming to the Royal Academy in what promises to be the hit exhibition of the season. Remarkably, this will also be her major show in the UK.
Abramović is known for pushing the limits of her own endurance, employing mind over matter 'in a performance state'. She has lost consciousness several times, once in a ball of flames from which she had to be rescued by members of the audience, and has had a loaded gun pointed to her head. This last act came about when Abramović invited the public to take up any of a number of objects provided on a table and to use them to inflict either pleasure or pain on the passive artist without fear of consequences. The results were disturbing, but she lives to tell the tale.
Now approaching her mid-seventies, Abramović is exploring her ageing body and her legacy as a performance artist. This exhibition will include new pieces conceived for this exhibition, as she congronts her own mortality and the longevity of her life's work. Expect thought-provoking videos, photographs and 'intense physical encounters.' Abramović will also be participating in a series of talks and events surrounding this exhibition, but you will need to book these in advance, as they will be extremely popular.
| What | Marina Abramović: After Life, Royal Academy |
| Where | Royal Academy, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BD | MAP |
| Nearest tube | Green Park (underground) |
| Price | £tbc |
| Website | Click here for more information |
