A Serbian artist known for her unconventional performances recently revisited one of her most provocative pieces in a candid discussion.
Art appreciation goes beyond mere aesthetics, often challenging societal norms and expectations throughout history.
Marina Abramovic, a Serbian performer, is an artist who embodies this boundary-pushing spirit.
At 78, Abramovic has been vocal about her willingness to risk her life for her art, a sentiment that was particularly evident in 1974 when she allowed an audience to interact with her body in any way they chose.
In a recent interview, she opened up about another performance she considered ‘terrible’ in the past.
Abramovic reimagined a performance originally by artist Vito Acconci, adding a female perspective. The original piece, Seedbed, involved Acconci reportedly masturbating at the Sonnabend Gallery in New York City for eight hours daily over nine days.
Her rendition of this performance took place in 2005 at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City.
In an interview with New York Art at the time, she described the experience: “Having orgasms publicly, being excited by the visitors steps above me—it’s really not easy, I tell you! I’ve never concentrated so hard in my life.
“The problem for me, with this piece, was the absence of public gaze: only the sound. But I heard that people had a great time; it was like a big party up there! I ended with nine orgasms.
“It was terrible for the next piece—I was so exhausted!”
In a conversation on the Fashion Neurosis YouTube channel last month, Abramovic revisited her thoughts on the performance.
She explained: “You know feeling orgasm is such an important moment, you feel life, connected to nature, birds the rocks, the trees, everything becomes luminous and beautiful. So if people discover that more, hopefully people are less s***.”
Drawing on her previous comments from 2005, she reiterated: “The piece required masturbation of eight hours under the stage, and the public can just hear my voice on the top.
“You know I take this stuff seriously, so it was complicated because it was like I do this seven hours, more than five orgasms and it was really difficult because next day I have to do performance on something else, I was exhausted.
“I wanted to do [art] piece with the female energy.”
While this type of performance may not appeal to everyone, Abramovic’s commitment to her art remains undeniable.