Who? World-famous Serbian performance artist.
Why? Although you could cast a lot aspersions on contemporary performance for being just another version of the emperors’ clothes, even for people who are completely removed from the art scene, Abramović raw bravado, vulnerability and dedication alone set her in a category completely of her own. Her performances are at once sophisticated and very direct, creating an unusually emotive impact in an otherwise rather sterile or pretentious art world.
What resonates with me? The stories of her nude performances with people allowed to use any object on her is a grim cautionary tale on the dregs of humanity.
Best bit? There was of course ‘The Artist is Present’ that propelled her to fame with wider audiences, but I suppose her unusual relationship with German artist Ulay was the story, interwoven with her art, that to me felt like a genuine, perhaps an anachronistic romance lived to its fullest. A feat few could hope to achieve.
Next up: Geir Jensen (Biosphere)
Why? Although you could cast a lot aspersions on contemporary performance for being just another version of the emperors’ clothes, even for people who are completely removed from the art scene, Abramović raw bravado, vulnerability and dedication alone set her in a category completely of her own. Her performances are at once sophisticated and very direct, creating an unusually emotive impact in an otherwise rather sterile or pretentious art world.
What resonates with me? The stories of her nude performances with people allowed to use any object on her is a grim cautionary tale on the dregs of humanity.
Best bit? There was of course ‘The Artist is Present’ that propelled her to fame with wider audiences, but I suppose her unusual relationship with German artist Ulay was the story, interwoven with her art, that to me felt like a genuine, perhaps an anachronistic romance lived to its fullest. A feat few could hope to achieve.
Next up: Geir Jensen (Biosphere)
