EARLY WORKS

ART MUST BE BEAUTIFUL, ARTIST MUST BE BEAUTIFUL

Marina Abramovic

Black and white photographic print with letterpress text panel

© Marina Abramovic
Courtesy Marina Abramovic and Sean Kelly Gallery, NY
FREEING THE VOICE

Marina Abramović

1975, video documentation of the 3 hour performance, at the Student Cultural Center, Belgrade

Copyright Marina Abramovic
Courtesy of Galerie Krinzinger, Vienna
FREEING THE MEMORY

Marina Abramovic

Video (black and white, sound)
1975
50:17 minutes

Courtesy of Marina Abramovic and Sean Kelly Gallery, New York
FREEING THE BODY

Marina Abramovic

Video (black and white, sound)

1975
54:54 minutes

Courtesy Marina Abramovic and Sean Kelly Gallery
RHYTHM 10

Marina Abramović

Performance
1 hour
1973
Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Villa Borghese, Rome
RHYTHM 0

Marina Abramovic

Performance
Studio Morra, Naples
1974
RHYTHM 2

Marina Abramović

Performance
7 hours
1974
Gallery of Contemporary Art, Zagreb

© Marina Abramovic
Courtesy Marina Abramovic and Sean Kelly Gallery New York
RHYTHM 5

Marina Abramović

Performance
90 Minutes
1974
Student Cultural Center, Belgrade

Ph: Nebojsa Cankovic
Courtesy Marina Abramovic and Sean Kelly Gallery New York
LIPS OF THOMAS

Marina Abramović

Performance
2 hours
1975
Krinzinger Gallery, Innbruck
DESCRIPTION

I brush my hair with a metal brush in my right hand and simultaneously comb my hair with a metal comb in my left hand.

While doing so, I continuously repeat “Art must be beautiful, artist must be beautiful.” Until I hurt my face and damage my hair.
DESCRIPTION

I lie on the floor with my head tilted backwards.

I scream until I lose my voice.
DESCRIPTION

I sit on a chair with my head tilted backwards.

Without stopping, I continuously speak the words that come to mind. When words no longer come to mind the performance ends.
DESCRIPTION

I wrap my head in a black scarf.
I move to the rhythm of the black African drummer.
I move until I am completely exhausted.
I fall.
DESCRIPTION

I place a white sheet of paper on the floor.
I place 20 knives of different sizes and shapes on the paper.
I place 2 tape recorders with microphones on the floor.

I turn on the first tape recorder.
I take the first knife and stab in between the fingers of my left hand as fast as possible.
Every time I cut myself, I change the knife.
When I’ve used all of the knives, (all the rhythms) I rewind the tape recorder.
I listen to the recording of the first part of the performance.
I concentrate.
I repeat the first part of the performance.
I take the knives in the same order, follow the same order, follow the same rhythm, and cut myself in the same places.
In this performance the mistakes of time past and the time present are synchronized.
I rewind he second tape recorder and listen to the double rhythm of the knives.
I leave.
DESCRIPTION

There are 72 objects on the table that one can use on me as desired.

I am the object.
During this period I take full responsibility.
DESCRIPTION

I use my body for an experiment.
I take the medication used in hospitals for the treatment of acute catatonia and schizophrenia, which puts my body in unpredictable states.

Performance

Facing the public, I take the first medication. This medication is given to patients who suffer from catatonia to force them to change the positions of their bodies. Shortly after taking the medication, my muscles begin to contract violently, until I completely lose control. Consciously I am very aware of what is going on but I can´t control my body.

Duration: 50 min.

Break

I turn the radio to a random station. While preparing for the second part the public listen to Slavic folk songs on the radio.

Duration: 10 min.
DESCRIPTION

I construct a five-pointed star (the construction is made in wood shavings soaked in 100 litres of petrol).

Performance

I light the star.
I walk around the star.
I cut my hair and throw it into each end of the star.
I cut my fingernails and throw them into each end of the star.
I enter the empty space in the star and lie down.
I don’t realize the fire has consumed all of the oxygen when I lay down in the star. I lose consciousness.
Because I am lying the public does not react. When a flame touches my leg and I still don’t react, two people from the public enter the star and carry me out.
The performance is interrupted.
DESCRIPTION

I slowly eat 1 kilo of honey with a silver spoon.
I slowly drink 1 liter of red wine out of a crystal glass.
I break the glass with my right hand.
I cut a five-pointed star on my stomach with a razor blade.
I violently whip myself until I no longer feel any pain.
I lay down on a cross made of ice blocks.
The heat of a suspended heater pointed at my stomach causes the cut star to bleed.
The rest of my body begins to freeze.
I remain on the ice cross for 30 minutes until the public interrupts the piece by removing the ice blocks from underneath me.