THE QUEEN OF PERFORMANCE ART | MARINA ABRAMOVIĆ IN LONDON
by Saidat Animasaun
The Royal Academy of Arts has beautifully commemorated its gallery spaces in Burlington House to exhibit the work of the legendary Marina Abramović- The first time this powerhouse’s main galleries have been given to a female artist. This is truly one for the history books
Walking through the rooms I noticed some of her pieces I’d previously studied as well as some undiscovered exciting new ones that barely had an online presence. I didn’t quite like how all her works were positioned in a concentrated manner, like a physical portfolio. Marina Abramović’s work is supposed to be digested and reflected on over time. She didn’t perform all these pieces over a short period, so we shouldn’t feel compelled to view her work all at once. It can be intense and deserves to be savoured and reflected upon.
However, the experience was quite enthralling. Marina has termed herself the ‘warrior of performance art’ and I fully agree with her. You have no choice but to view her pieces with a burning mixture of awe and confusion. The way in which she has manipulated her body and environment is a fine line between concerning and fascinating. She is definitely a force to be reckoned with. How it has taken 55 years for her to be recognised at such a high level is insane. I dare say that if a male performance artist had tested boundaries and pulled stunts as such, they would have amassed fame way earlier in their career.
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It is an unforgettable experience viewing the work of Marina. There’s a sense of courage that I feel is strongly communicated in her work. She proves that we are what we make of ourselves and looking at her work makes me
want to take risks and discover my potential on a higher scale, abandoning all senses of fear.
I appreciate how they exhibited her multiple forms of work. I wasn’t aware that Marina was into mediums like film photography and painting so it was interesting to see her essence applied in other formats.
The Balkan Baroque reproduction bothered me slightly; one of her most famous pieces, well-known for her use of real cow bones and blood was displayed using fake bones. However, on display, the bones were fake, which is understandable given the controversy surrounding the piece. I was just expecting a more engaging experience and was a bit disappointed to see plaster bones instead.
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We are sad to see this exhibition come to an end. However, we are grateful for the unforgettable experience and look forward to experiencing more of Marina's greatness in the future.