A Kick in the Artist….

“Marina Abramovic´ “The artist is present”. Over a three-month period in 2010, performance artist Marina Abramovic spent more than 700 hours sitting in a chair at a small table in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. For seven hours a day, six days a week, she would gaze, silently and motionlessly, into the eyes of whoever took the open chair opposite her. An estimated 750,000 museum-goers participated, many finding the experience so overwhelming that they were moved to tears.”

Great news for contemporary art, fans of “the grandmother of performance art”, Marina Abramovic, and society at large. The Marina Abramovic Institute for has been fully kickstarted, thanks to Lady Gaga and a range of everyday people like me and you!

While Marina’s approach is extreme, becoming aware of her devotion and dedication and fortitude is beneficial to any aspiring, emerging or experienced artist. Hell, anyone who has a dream can glean something positive from Marina.

English: Performance artist Marina Abramovic at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, April 2010. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to the Huffington Post, “Marina announced that she was seeking $600K from her many, many disciples almost one month ago, embarking on a series of strange and wholly “Marina” spectacles to bring attention to her cause.

Besides the nude Lady Gaga yoga session, Marina answered ridiculous questions on Reddit, spearheaded a marathon reading of the 1961 sci-fi novel “Solaris,” sashayed her way into Jay Z’s “Picasso Baby” video, and organized a screaming flashmob in Oslo. Essentially, she made promoting a Hollywood film look like child’s play.”

As a another artist, and great humanitarian, Audrey Hepburn, once said, “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says, I am possible!” I’m not suggesting anyone try to become another Marina. As much as she inspires and excites me, I don’t fully agree with her methods. Don’t try this at home kids.

Rather, I think that seeing, hearing, and or directly experiencing her work and it’s effects on others is a tremendous testament to the soul healing power of the Arts, and the ways in which it speaks to our immense need for connection, intimacy and understanding.

Ironically, this age old, Universal human need for relationship may be greater now, in this almost instantaneous age of Chat and IM, then at any other time in documented history. Marina’s thought-provoking, sometimes disturbing and deeply inspiring, documentary and show, The Artist is Present, entertains as it engages the senses.

It challenges conventional attitudes about the nature, role, and potential of art and the artist in society today. I’ve included a link below and would love to know your thoughts…..Engagingly yours, Sabrina

Marina Abramovic on The Artist Is Present (2010) from Marina Abramovic Institute on Vimeo.

Marina Abramovic Gives a Virtual Tour of MAI from Marina Abramovic Institute on Vimeo.