Screening of 'Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present', at FACT Liverpool - 17.10.12
I attended the film screening of Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present as part of the 2012 Liverpool Biennale, with no prior knowledge of Abramovic or her show on which the film focuses. With this in mind, I found that the film provided an engaging introduction to Abramovic and her work.
The FACT cinema (http://www.fact.co.uk/) is a small space, and instead of having standard cinema seats, audience members sit on sofas, encouraging interaction between strangers. I found this arrangement refreshing, and exchanged comments with my neighbour throughout the screening.
The film documented that The Artist is Present exhibition and performance art piece ran 14 March – 31 May 2010 at The Museum of Modern Art, New York (http://www.moma.org/). The exhibition area of the show displayed some of her works, as well as re-enactments by actors of some of her earlier performance art works. From that room the public could join a queue to see Abramovic herself, hence the name The Artist is Present. She was sat on a chair in the centre of the room, and visitors could sit on the chair placed opposite for as long as they desired. With no sound or movement, Abramovic would look into their eyes, and the visitor would react however they wished.
Whilst the film detailed the preparations that went into the curating of the show, clips of Abramovic’s forty year career in performance art were shown, in such a way that people like myself who had never before studied Abramovic, would by the end of the film be very knowledgeable on her life and artistic style. Many of the clips featured ex-husband and fellow artist Uwe Laysiepen (known as Ulay), such as their collaboration on 1976 work Relation in Space. The depiction of their relationship and its demise is an intimate sub-story in the film, and Ulay’s emotional visit to The Artist is Present is the film’s peak.
The picture goes on to present notable moments from the show. Starting with Ulay’s surprise appearance on the first day, film viewers follow Abramovic as she struggles through each week, clearly pained at the restriction of movement she has enforced upon herself. Scenes include the reaction of MoMA visitors taking part in the event; some laugh, some cry, others show no emotion. Comparisons could be made to my fellow audience-members whilst we watched the film; there were those who laughed at Abramovic’s artistic concepts, and those who clearly felt a psychological connection to her, signalled by the tears in their eyes.
Directed by Matthew Akers, The Artist is Present is available to purchase at http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/31750795/Marina-Abramovic-The-Artist-Is-Present/Product.html?_%24ja=tsid:11518|cat:31750795|prd:31750795.
For more information visit http://marinafilm.com/.
The FACT cinema (http://www.fact.co.uk/) is a small space, and instead of having standard cinema seats, audience members sit on sofas, encouraging interaction between strangers. I found this arrangement refreshing, and exchanged comments with my neighbour throughout the screening.
The film documented that The Artist is Present exhibition and performance art piece ran 14 March – 31 May 2010 at The Museum of Modern Art, New York (http://www.moma.org/). The exhibition area of the show displayed some of her works, as well as re-enactments by actors of some of her earlier performance art works. From that room the public could join a queue to see Abramovic herself, hence the name The Artist is Present. She was sat on a chair in the centre of the room, and visitors could sit on the chair placed opposite for as long as they desired. With no sound or movement, Abramovic would look into their eyes, and the visitor would react however they wished.
Whilst the film detailed the preparations that went into the curating of the show, clips of Abramovic’s forty year career in performance art were shown, in such a way that people like myself who had never before studied Abramovic, would by the end of the film be very knowledgeable on her life and artistic style. Many of the clips featured ex-husband and fellow artist Uwe Laysiepen (known as Ulay), such as their collaboration on 1976 work Relation in Space. The depiction of their relationship and its demise is an intimate sub-story in the film, and Ulay’s emotional visit to The Artist is Present is the film’s peak.
The picture goes on to present notable moments from the show. Starting with Ulay’s surprise appearance on the first day, film viewers follow Abramovic as she struggles through each week, clearly pained at the restriction of movement she has enforced upon herself. Scenes include the reaction of MoMA visitors taking part in the event; some laugh, some cry, others show no emotion. Comparisons could be made to my fellow audience-members whilst we watched the film; there were those who laughed at Abramovic’s artistic concepts, and those who clearly felt a psychological connection to her, signalled by the tears in their eyes.
Directed by Matthew Akers, The Artist is Present is available to purchase at http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/31750795/Marina-Abramovic-The-Artist-Is-Present/Product.html?_%24ja=tsid:11518|cat:31750795|prd:31750795.
For more information visit http://marinafilm.com/.