What do you think?
Rate this book
Пройти сквозь стены. Автобиография
Автобиография Марины Абрамович - это вербальное высказывание, дышащее такой же силой и бесстрашием, как и ее в основном невербальные художественные перформансы. Она с присущим ей сухим юмором рассказывает о детстве и юности, которые прошли под жестким контролем авторитарной матери, о своем искусстве, пронизанном неисчерпаемым любопытством и желанием познать людей. Центральная часть книги посвящена ее отношениям и коллаборации с художником Улаем - отношениям, которые после 12 лет завершились совместным зрелищным перформансом на Великой Китайской стене.
343 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2016
1414 people are currently reading
29922 people want to read
About the author
Marina Abramovi?
89?books718?followersSince the beginning of her career in Belgrade during the early 1970s, Marina Abramovic has pioneered performance as a visual art form, creating some of the most important early works. The body has always been both her subject and medium. Exploring her physical and mental limits in works that ritualize the simple actions of everyday life, she has withstood pain, exhaustion and danger in her quest for emotional and spiritual transformation. From 1975–88, Abramovic and the German artist Ulay performed together, dealing with relations of duality. Abramovic returned to solo performances in 1989.
She has presented her work at major institutions in the US and Europe, including the Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven,1985; Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, 1990; Neue National Galerie, Berlin, 1993, and the Museum of Modern Art, Oxford, 1995. She has also participated in many large-scale international exhibitions including the Venice Biennale (1976 and 1997) and Documenta VI, VII and IX, Kassel (1977, 1982 and 1992). Recent performances include "The House With The Ocean View" at Sean Kelly Gallery, New York in 2002, and the Performance "7 Easy Pieces" at Guggenheim Museum, New York in 2005. In 2010, Abramovic had her first major U.S. retrospective and simultaneously performed for over 700 hours in “The Artist is Present” at Museum of Modern Art, New York. Using herself and the public as medium, Abramovic performed for three months at the Serpentine Gallery in London, 2014; the piece was titled after the duration of the work, “512 Hours”.
She was awarded the Golden Lion for Best Artist at the 1997 Venice Biennale for the video installation and performance “Balkan Baroque.” In 2008 she was decorated with the Austrian Commander Cross for her contribution to Art History. In 2013, the French Minister of Culture accepted her as an Officer to the Order of Arts and Letters. In addition to these and other awards, Abramovic also holds multiple honorary doctorates from institutions around the world.
Abramovic founded the Marina Abramovic Institute (MAI), a platform for immaterial and long durational work to create new possibilities for collaboration among thinkers of all fields. The institute inhabited its most complete form to date in 2016 in collaboration with NEON in “As One”, Benaki Museum, Athens.
She has presented her work at major institutions in the US and Europe, including the Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven,1985; Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, 1990; Neue National Galerie, Berlin, 1993, and the Museum of Modern Art, Oxford, 1995. She has also participated in many large-scale international exhibitions including the Venice Biennale (1976 and 1997) and Documenta VI, VII and IX, Kassel (1977, 1982 and 1992). Recent performances include "The House With The Ocean View" at Sean Kelly Gallery, New York in 2002, and the Performance "7 Easy Pieces" at Guggenheim Museum, New York in 2005. In 2010, Abramovic had her first major U.S. retrospective and simultaneously performed for over 700 hours in “The Artist is Present” at Museum of Modern Art, New York. Using herself and the public as medium, Abramovic performed for three months at the Serpentine Gallery in London, 2014; the piece was titled after the duration of the work, “512 Hours”.
She was awarded the Golden Lion for Best Artist at the 1997 Venice Biennale for the video installation and performance “Balkan Baroque.” In 2008 she was decorated with the Austrian Commander Cross for her contribution to Art History. In 2013, the French Minister of Culture accepted her as an Officer to the Order of Arts and Letters. In addition to these and other awards, Abramovic also holds multiple honorary doctorates from institutions around the world.
Abramovic founded the Marina Abramovic Institute (MAI), a platform for immaterial and long durational work to create new possibilities for collaboration among thinkers of all fields. The institute inhabited its most complete form to date in 2016 in collaboration with NEON in “As One”, Benaki Museum, Athens.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,039 reviews
July 11, 2019
I don't even have words for how much I adored this book. (My one-word 欧宝娱乐 review before I finishing gathering my thoughts was just 'Perfection'.) Let's get this out of the way: Serbian performance artist Marina Abramovi? is a controversial figure, and much as I'd love to shove her ghostwritten memoir into everyone's hands, I must admit that there are plenty of people who will remain thoroughly unmoved by it, and that's completely fine. But I also want to clarify that I don't think it's essential for a reader to love or understand or even be familiar with her art in order to appreciate this. The best thing to be while picking up this book is open-minded.
Personally I love contemporary art, I love performance art, and I love Marina Abramovi?, so this was always going to work for me. But it still managed to exceed my expectations; I think I was anticipating entertaining and instead I got revelatory. I did study Art History in college and am hardly a stranger to thinking critically about what art is, so I wasn't expecting my perception of that question to be so shaken by Abramovi?'s perspective. Art and life are fundamentally inextricable concepts to her, which she explores throughout her career in a series of daring, unconventional performance pieces, which are chronicled in this book with vividly descriptive imagery. This book, as well as Marina's career, is a testament to her unbelievable ability to push her body to its limits, and using her own physicality to connect with her audience. The way her performances build upon and interact with one another is delineated here with clarity: I genuinely feel enriched from this new understanding I have of her work and what she has tried, and has succeeded, to achieve.
Even outside of her art (though she would probably frown upon making this distinction), Marina's life is a constant source of fascination. This reads more like autobiography than memoir, as it's heavy on fact and chronology and light on emotional analysis, but this isn't a criticism. Marina is presented in this book as an open, vulnerable figure, her methods and ideology made accessible through a thorough excavation of her life, from childhood to present day.
If you're interested in Marina Abramovi? but aren't a big nonfiction reader, the novel by Heather Rose is a brilliant depiction of her 2010 show The Artist is Present. Otherwise, I really couldn't recommend highly enough.
Personally I love contemporary art, I love performance art, and I love Marina Abramovi?, so this was always going to work for me. But it still managed to exceed my expectations; I think I was anticipating entertaining and instead I got revelatory. I did study Art History in college and am hardly a stranger to thinking critically about what art is, so I wasn't expecting my perception of that question to be so shaken by Abramovi?'s perspective. Art and life are fundamentally inextricable concepts to her, which she explores throughout her career in a series of daring, unconventional performance pieces, which are chronicled in this book with vividly descriptive imagery. This book, as well as Marina's career, is a testament to her unbelievable ability to push her body to its limits, and using her own physicality to connect with her audience. The way her performances build upon and interact with one another is delineated here with clarity: I genuinely feel enriched from this new understanding I have of her work and what she has tried, and has succeeded, to achieve.
Even outside of her art (though she would probably frown upon making this distinction), Marina's life is a constant source of fascination. This reads more like autobiography than memoir, as it's heavy on fact and chronology and light on emotional analysis, but this isn't a criticism. Marina is presented in this book as an open, vulnerable figure, her methods and ideology made accessible through a thorough excavation of her life, from childhood to present day.
If you're interested in Marina Abramovi? but aren't a big nonfiction reader, the novel by Heather Rose is a brilliant depiction of her 2010 show The Artist is Present. Otherwise, I really couldn't recommend highly enough.
February 18, 2022
Obcowanie z tak wielk? artystk? absolutn? by?o dla mnie wspania?ym do?wiadczeniem, nawet je?li jedynie za po?rednictwem s?ów przelanych na papier.
February 29, 2024
???? ? ??? ?????
?? ?? ??? ??? ??? ????????. ??? ????? ???? ?? ?????? ????? ? ???????? ?? ?? ??? ??????. ????? ??? ?? ???????? ???????????? ?????? ????????? ????? ?? ?????? ???????. ????? ?? ??? ? ??? ?? ????? ???? ???? ????? ??? ? ??????? ?? ??? ???? ???
??? ?? ???? ???? ??????? ??? ?? ?? ?? ????? ????? ???. ??????? ??? ??? ???? ????? ??? ? ??? ?? ???? ? ?????. ?? ????????? ?????? ??? ??? ?? ?????? ???? ????? ?? ?? ? ???? ????? ???. ??? ??? ???? ???? ??. ??? ??????? ?? ???? ???. ??? ?? ?? ?????? ???. ??? ??? ?? ??? ????? ?? ????. ??? ???? ?? ??? ???? ? ???? ?? ????. ?? ??? ??? ????? ?? ???? ??? ?? ????? ??. ?? ???? ??? ?? ????? ?? ??? ?? ?? ?????? ? ??? ??? ?????. ??? ????????? ????? ?? ??? ???? ????
?? ??????? ??? ???????? ???. ??????? ???? ?? ???? ?? ???? ????? ???? ? ????? ????????? ???? ?????? ?? ?? ?????? ?? ?? ?? ???. ??? ???? ??????????? ???? ??? ??? ?? ????????? ???????? ??? ??? ?? ???? ?????
????????? ?? ???? ??? ?????? ?????? ?? ???? ??????. ?? ???? ??? ?? ?????? ???????? ?? ??? ? ????? ?? ??????? ????? ????. ?? ???? ??? ?? ???? ???? ??? ?? ????? ???? ????? ? ???? ????. ??? ????? ????? ?????? ?? ???? ???? ??? ?? ???? ??????? ???? ?????? ??? ????? ???? ? ?? ???? ??????
???? ???? ?? ?????? ?????? ?? ?? ???? ???? ??? ??????? ?? ??? ??? ??????? ?? ???? ?????? ?? ?? ????? ??????? ?? ???????? ????? ??? ????? ?? ????? ???????. ?????? ?? ???????? ???????? ?????? ?? ???? ????? ????? ????? ??? ?? ???? ??? ????? ?? ????? ?????? ?? ??? ? ??? ??????????? ????? ? ????????? ?? ????? ???? ? ?? ??????? ?????? ????? ????
????? ????? ??? ?? ??? ?? ????????. ?? ???????? ??? ???? ???? ?? ????? ???????????? ?? ????? ???? ? ?? ???? ???? ? ??? ????. ?????? ????????? ?? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ? ???? ???? ??? ??? ??????. ???????????? ????? ???? ?? ??????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ? ????? ???? ?? ?? ?? ? ????? ???????
??? ?? ??? ?? ??? ??????? ??. ??? ?? ?????? ????? ?? ???????????? ? ????????????? ??????? ??. ??? ????? ?? ??? ????? ?????. ??? ?????? ?????? ??????? ?? ?? ??? ???? ????? ??? ?? ????. ??? ??? ?? ???? ????? ???
?? ?????????? ?????? ??? ????????? ???? ?????? ??????? ?? ???????? ?? ??? ?????? ??? ? ??????????? ????. ????? ???? ?????? ?? ?? ????? ??? ??????? ? ???????? ???? ????. ?????? ???? ? ??? ??? ???????. ????? ??????? ???? ????? ????????? ????? ?????? ??????
??? ?? ???? ??? ???? ?? ????. ??? ?????? ????? ??? ?? ?? ??????? ???????? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ? ???? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???. ?? ????? ?? ???? ???? ???? ???? ??????? ?? ?? ???? ??????? ??? ???? ????? ???? ?? ??? ???????? ???? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ? ???? ???? ???? ??? ???
???????? ?????? ??? ???? ?? ??? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ????????? ????? ???? ???????
????? ?????? ??????? ? ?????? ??????? ? ???????
????/??/?
?? ?? ??? ??? ??? ????????. ??? ????? ???? ?? ?????? ????? ? ???????? ?? ?? ??? ??????. ????? ??? ?? ???????? ???????????? ?????? ????????? ????? ?? ?????? ???????. ????? ?? ??? ? ??? ?? ????? ???? ???? ????? ??? ? ??????? ?? ??? ???? ???
??? ?? ???? ???? ??????? ??? ?? ?? ?? ????? ????? ???. ??????? ??? ??? ???? ????? ??? ? ??? ?? ???? ? ?????. ?? ????????? ?????? ??? ??? ?? ?????? ???? ????? ?? ?? ? ???? ????? ???. ??? ??? ???? ???? ??. ??? ??????? ?? ???? ???. ??? ?? ?? ?????? ???. ??? ??? ?? ??? ????? ?? ????. ??? ???? ?? ??? ???? ? ???? ?? ????. ?? ??? ??? ????? ?? ???? ??? ?? ????? ??. ?? ???? ??? ?? ????? ?? ??? ?? ?? ?????? ? ??? ??? ?????. ??? ????????? ????? ?? ??? ???? ????
?? ??????? ??? ???????? ???. ??????? ???? ?? ???? ?? ???? ????? ???? ? ????? ????????? ???? ?????? ?? ?? ?????? ?? ?? ?? ???. ??? ???? ??????????? ???? ??? ??? ?? ????????? ???????? ??? ??? ?? ???? ?????
????????? ?? ???? ??? ?????? ?????? ?? ???? ??????. ?? ???? ??? ?? ?????? ???????? ?? ??? ? ????? ?? ??????? ????? ????. ?? ???? ??? ?? ???? ???? ??? ?? ????? ???? ????? ? ???? ????. ??? ????? ????? ?????? ?? ???? ???? ??? ?? ???? ??????? ???? ?????? ??? ????? ???? ? ?? ???? ??????
???? ???? ?? ?????? ?????? ?? ?? ???? ???? ??? ??????? ?? ??? ??? ??????? ?? ???? ?????? ?? ?? ????? ??????? ?? ???????? ????? ??? ????? ?? ????? ???????. ?????? ?? ???????? ???????? ?????? ?? ???? ????? ????? ????? ??? ?? ???? ??? ????? ?? ????? ?????? ?? ??? ? ??? ??????????? ????? ? ????????? ?? ????? ???? ? ?? ??????? ?????? ????? ????
????? ????? ??? ?? ??? ?? ????????. ?? ???????? ??? ???? ???? ?? ????? ???????????? ?? ????? ???? ? ?? ???? ???? ? ??? ????. ?????? ????????? ?? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ? ???? ???? ??? ??? ??????. ???????????? ????? ???? ?? ??????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ? ????? ???? ?? ?? ?? ? ????? ???????
??? ?? ??? ?? ??? ??????? ??. ??? ?? ?????? ????? ?? ???????????? ? ????????????? ??????? ??. ??? ????? ?? ??? ????? ?????. ??? ?????? ?????? ??????? ?? ?? ??? ???? ????? ??? ?? ????. ??? ??? ?? ???? ????? ???
?? ?????????? ?????? ??? ????????? ???? ?????? ??????? ?? ???????? ?? ??? ?????? ??? ? ??????????? ????. ????? ???? ?????? ?? ?? ????? ??? ??????? ? ???????? ???? ????. ?????? ???? ? ??? ??? ???????. ????? ??????? ???? ????? ????????? ????? ?????? ??????
??? ?? ???? ??? ???? ?? ????. ??? ?????? ????? ??? ?? ?? ??????? ???????? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ? ???? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???. ?? ????? ?? ???? ???? ???? ???? ??????? ?? ?? ???? ??????? ??? ???? ????? ???? ?? ??? ???????? ???? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ? ???? ???? ???? ??? ???
???????? ?????? ??? ???? ?? ??? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ????????? ????? ???? ???????
????? ?????? ??????? ? ?????? ??????? ? ???????
????/??/?
January 21, 2024
An impressive tale of how the performance artist became present in the art world and the broader society. This book makes you want to be an artist, minus the abusive childhood. - 3,5 stars
Childhood, budding artistry and a Great Love (and Wall)
starts chatty and up close, like boom and the story starts with the childhood of , in communist Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
Marina has privilege as a daughter of war heroes, growing up amongst books and art in the luscious apartment that was confiscated from jews during the war. Marina grew up at her grandmother, with her parents in high up party roles. Physical punishment, boys being more important and growing up with maids being more present than her quarreling parents, come back a lot in the first chapters. At six, when she needed to spend almost a year in a hospital due to a blood disease, she describes this time as the best of her life.
Her father was notorious for his love for women and named her after a Russian soldier who was blown up in front of him. Her mother not just beat her, but loved order so much she woke Marina up at night when she slept to messy and crumpled the sheet.
From her childhood and love for art we soon have Marina join a student art centre, exponent from the 1968 student uprisings. Here she discovers the Arte Povera and performance art. The Rhytm series, full of knives and taking the body to the extreme, is impressive. Especially the violence that ensues from the cultured group in Rhytm 0 makes you feel Abramovic uncovered something essential of human nature.
And then Marina meets Ulay in Amsterdam. Already from the start Abramovic indicates the feeling of their relationship being special and their performance are visceral and bordering on crazy in terms of demands on their bodies. There are idyllic stories of travelling Europe and the US in a car and crazy life stories of eccentric friends they live with in an Amsterdam warehouse.
Amsterdam in general (also as one of the three cities, together with New York and Belgrade she wants to have a grave as part of her "final performance") comes back a lot, as does the Dutch government as sponsor of her arts and art centres like De Appel and the Holland Festival. Nice to see how our small country helped the rise of an artist so iconic to performance arts.
Rest Energy is a poetic performance of Ulay and Marina holding a bow, literally giving one’s life in another’s hands and the story of the Great Wall of China walk is breathtaking, how from a wild idea this is in the end made real, but also signals the end of the relationship between the duo.
Spirituality, far away places and success
Spirituality is very important to Marina, already in her youth we have stories that she sees ghosts in closets and at key decisions she goes to soothsayers and flips coins for answers. At the aboriginals in Australia this is even further enhanced and we hear of telepathy and visions
Wilderness in the Amazon, the outback of Australia, India, Venice, The Great Wall, Belgrade, Amsterdam, New York, the succession of places she visits after she gains more and more success and a reputation in the art world is dazzling. All the while we see turbulent love affairs with younger men, most of the time ending rather tragically for Marina.
Energy, aura’s, unexplainable phenomenons, visions, mindfulness, focus on experience, yoga retreats.
So avant garde how what she did in the 80's and 90's in a diluted form is now common place in our society.
We have meetings with Rem Koolhaas, Susan Sontag, the Dalai Lama, the artistic lead of Givenchy, other artists, Lady Gaga, TED talks:().
The last part of the book misses for me the rapturous energy and drive, focussed on getting her at her first performances. It’s less about the physical extremes and more about narrating a well deserved international jetset life, and a vision of making performance scaleable and taken serious in the art world and broader society.
Therefor overall I feel this was a 3,5 stars book for me, but a definite recommended read for anyone interested in modern art!
Quotes from the Dutch edition:
Ik weet inmiddels dat geen enkele houding prettiger is dan een andere. Zelfs de prettigste houding wordt na een tijdje ondragelijk.
Om iets te bereiken, moet je álles geven tot je niets meer overhebt. En dan gebeurt het vanzelf.
Ik wil niet meer willen.
Childhood, budding artistry and a Great Love (and Wall)
starts chatty and up close, like boom and the story starts with the childhood of , in communist Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
Marina has privilege as a daughter of war heroes, growing up amongst books and art in the luscious apartment that was confiscated from jews during the war. Marina grew up at her grandmother, with her parents in high up party roles. Physical punishment, boys being more important and growing up with maids being more present than her quarreling parents, come back a lot in the first chapters. At six, when she needed to spend almost a year in a hospital due to a blood disease, she describes this time as the best of her life.
Her father was notorious for his love for women and named her after a Russian soldier who was blown up in front of him. Her mother not just beat her, but loved order so much she woke Marina up at night when she slept to messy and crumpled the sheet.
From her childhood and love for art we soon have Marina join a student art centre, exponent from the 1968 student uprisings. Here she discovers the Arte Povera and performance art. The Rhytm series, full of knives and taking the body to the extreme, is impressive. Especially the violence that ensues from the cultured group in Rhytm 0 makes you feel Abramovic uncovered something essential of human nature.
And then Marina meets Ulay in Amsterdam. Already from the start Abramovic indicates the feeling of their relationship being special and their performance are visceral and bordering on crazy in terms of demands on their bodies. There are idyllic stories of travelling Europe and the US in a car and crazy life stories of eccentric friends they live with in an Amsterdam warehouse.
Amsterdam in general (also as one of the three cities, together with New York and Belgrade she wants to have a grave as part of her "final performance") comes back a lot, as does the Dutch government as sponsor of her arts and art centres like De Appel and the Holland Festival. Nice to see how our small country helped the rise of an artist so iconic to performance arts.
Rest Energy is a poetic performance of Ulay and Marina holding a bow, literally giving one’s life in another’s hands and the story of the Great Wall of China walk is breathtaking, how from a wild idea this is in the end made real, but also signals the end of the relationship between the duo.
Spirituality, far away places and success
Spirituality is very important to Marina, already in her youth we have stories that she sees ghosts in closets and at key decisions she goes to soothsayers and flips coins for answers. At the aboriginals in Australia this is even further enhanced and we hear of telepathy and visions
Wilderness in the Amazon, the outback of Australia, India, Venice, The Great Wall, Belgrade, Amsterdam, New York, the succession of places she visits after she gains more and more success and a reputation in the art world is dazzling. All the while we see turbulent love affairs with younger men, most of the time ending rather tragically for Marina.
Energy, aura’s, unexplainable phenomenons, visions, mindfulness, focus on experience, yoga retreats.
So avant garde how what she did in the 80's and 90's in a diluted form is now common place in our society.
We have meetings with Rem Koolhaas, Susan Sontag, the Dalai Lama, the artistic lead of Givenchy, other artists, Lady Gaga, TED talks:().
The last part of the book misses for me the rapturous energy and drive, focussed on getting her at her first performances. It’s less about the physical extremes and more about narrating a well deserved international jetset life, and a vision of making performance scaleable and taken serious in the art world and broader society.
Therefor overall I feel this was a 3,5 stars book for me, but a definite recommended read for anyone interested in modern art!
Quotes from the Dutch edition:
Ik weet inmiddels dat geen enkele houding prettiger is dan een andere. Zelfs de prettigste houding wordt na een tijdje ondragelijk.
Om iets te bereiken, moet je álles geven tot je niets meer overhebt. En dan gebeurt het vanzelf.
Ik wil niet meer willen.
July 7, 2023
Kiedy mówi?, ?e kocham kobiety to w?a?nie TO mam na my?li
May 11, 2020
??? ?? ?????? ???? ???? ?? ??????????? ???? ?? ????? ??? ?? ????.???? ???? ??????? ???? ????? ???????? ??? ?? ??? ????? ??? ????? ???? ????? ??????
December 29, 2019
,,I realized that being an artist meant having immense freedom. If I wanted to create something from dust or rubbish, I could do it." - M.A.
Meno performanco mociute vadinamos, Marinos Abramovic, memuarai/dienorastis/dokumentika gali ikvepti ir suzaveti daugeli. Ir ne tik besidomincius vaizduojamuoju menu. Savo istorija Marina pasakoja labai paprastai, su humoru/ironija....ir kas mane pakerejo - labai jau atvirai. Knyga pravartu perskaityti, kad pasitikrintume savo miescionizmo ar snobizmo lygi.
Bet rasytoja tai ji labai prasta.
3.9*
Meno performanco mociute vadinamos, Marinos Abramovic, memuarai/dienorastis/dokumentika gali ikvepti ir suzaveti daugeli. Ir ne tik besidomincius vaizduojamuoju menu. Savo istorija Marina pasakoja labai paprastai, su humoru/ironija....ir kas mane pakerejo - labai jau atvirai. Knyga pravartu perskaityti, kad pasitikrintume savo miescionizmo ar snobizmo lygi.
Bet rasytoja tai ji labai prasta.
3.9*
October 4, 2020
Geras menas, BET nelabai ?domūs paai?kinimai apie t? men?.
?domi istorija, ypa? i? jaunyst?s Serbijoje, BET nuo tre?dalio pasikei?ia ? "did?iosios meil?s, kurios mane i?dav?" ir "nuostabūs ?mon?s, kurie man pad?jo siekti to, k? pasiekiau".
Paprastas, patrauklus pasakojimo stilius, BET ?AK?S KIEK DAUG tokio second-hand new-age dvasingumo.
Apskritai visai nieko knyga, smagiai skaitosi, kaip kokie pletkai, tik vietomis akys vartosi, pvz kai ji kalb?josi mintimis su Australijos aborigenais, ir nor?jo pasikviesti ? performans? ka?kok? jog?, kuris neva i?būna kelias dienas po vandeniu, bet sak?, kad negal?s dalyvauti performanse, kur? matys ?mon?s, nes tik d?l RELIGINI? prie?as?i? gali i?būti po vandeniu. Sure.
Ir, ai?ku, liūdna pasidaro, kai jai nesiseka, ir laikai ?pygas, kad sekt?si, ir faina, kad sekasi, bet pabaigi skaityti ir viskas daugma? u?simir?ta, i?skyrus gal t? Serbijos jaunyst?, kur tikrai ?domiai papasakota, su aplinka, santykiais ir keistenyb?mis, ir toki? suprantam? jaunyst?s dalyk?, pvz kaip ji namie band? nugriūti ant lovos atramos ir susilau?yti nos?, nes tik?josi, kad tada jai ligonin?je padarys plastin? nosies operacij?, ir tur?jo ki?en?je nuotrauk? ka?kokios aktor?s su neva gra?ia nosimi, kad gal?t? parodyti daktarams i?kart, kokios nosies nor?t? (nepa?jo, beje).
Ir jos performansai man nuo?ird?iai patinka (gal tie ankstyvieji labiau, bet nu ?mogus daro, kas jam tuo metu atrodo gerai, netira?uosi juk vis? gyvenim? to paties), bet kai kurie paai?kinimai v?l kiek gadina - pvz kai ?tais? kokias tai akmenines k?des galerijoje: vien? pasiekiam? atsis?sti, o kit? prie lub?, ir pavadino "For Human and Inhuman (ka?kam)". Faina id?ja, bet, pasirodo, kitas fotelis tur?jo būti skirtas lankytojo SIELAI, ir lankytojas tur?t? matyti t? savo siel? ant auk?tesnio akmeninio fotelio, kai pats s?di ant ?emesnio. Nu tikrai, geriau būt? buv? ?ito ne?inoti, juk gali prisigalvoti daug ?domesni? interpretacij?, negu fakin SIEL? ANT K?DUT?S.
Saky?iau, verta skaityti, jei m?gstate, kai menininkai pasakoja apie savo men?, ir nesibaidote dvasingumo.
Jei nelabai m?gstate ir baidot?s, tai gal vis tiek verta, bet, saky?iau, tik pirm? tre?dal?.
?domi istorija, ypa? i? jaunyst?s Serbijoje, BET nuo tre?dalio pasikei?ia ? "did?iosios meil?s, kurios mane i?dav?" ir "nuostabūs ?mon?s, kurie man pad?jo siekti to, k? pasiekiau".
Paprastas, patrauklus pasakojimo stilius, BET ?AK?S KIEK DAUG tokio second-hand new-age dvasingumo.
Apskritai visai nieko knyga, smagiai skaitosi, kaip kokie pletkai, tik vietomis akys vartosi, pvz kai ji kalb?josi mintimis su Australijos aborigenais, ir nor?jo pasikviesti ? performans? ka?kok? jog?, kuris neva i?būna kelias dienas po vandeniu, bet sak?, kad negal?s dalyvauti performanse, kur? matys ?mon?s, nes tik d?l RELIGINI? prie?as?i? gali i?būti po vandeniu. Sure.
Ir, ai?ku, liūdna pasidaro, kai jai nesiseka, ir laikai ?pygas, kad sekt?si, ir faina, kad sekasi, bet pabaigi skaityti ir viskas daugma? u?simir?ta, i?skyrus gal t? Serbijos jaunyst?, kur tikrai ?domiai papasakota, su aplinka, santykiais ir keistenyb?mis, ir toki? suprantam? jaunyst?s dalyk?, pvz kaip ji namie band? nugriūti ant lovos atramos ir susilau?yti nos?, nes tik?josi, kad tada jai ligonin?je padarys plastin? nosies operacij?, ir tur?jo ki?en?je nuotrauk? ka?kokios aktor?s su neva gra?ia nosimi, kad gal?t? parodyti daktarams i?kart, kokios nosies nor?t? (nepa?jo, beje).
Ir jos performansai man nuo?ird?iai patinka (gal tie ankstyvieji labiau, bet nu ?mogus daro, kas jam tuo metu atrodo gerai, netira?uosi juk vis? gyvenim? to paties), bet kai kurie paai?kinimai v?l kiek gadina - pvz kai ?tais? kokias tai akmenines k?des galerijoje: vien? pasiekiam? atsis?sti, o kit? prie lub?, ir pavadino "For Human and Inhuman (ka?kam)". Faina id?ja, bet, pasirodo, kitas fotelis tur?jo būti skirtas lankytojo SIELAI, ir lankytojas tur?t? matyti t? savo siel? ant auk?tesnio akmeninio fotelio, kai pats s?di ant ?emesnio. Nu tikrai, geriau būt? buv? ?ito ne?inoti, juk gali prisigalvoti daug ?domesni? interpretacij?, negu fakin SIEL? ANT K?DUT?S.
Saky?iau, verta skaityti, jei m?gstate, kai menininkai pasakoja apie savo men?, ir nesibaidote dvasingumo.
Jei nelabai m?gstate ir baidot?s, tai gal vis tiek verta, bet, saky?iau, tik pirm? tre?dal?.
December 21, 2019
I have burned enough calories to rate this, a review will be added soon
.........................................................................
Not one of those awful characters out of a movie that gushes out the past while the violins play
A pretty rough childhood, devastating upbringing, dysfunctional family, communism, savage mental and physical punishments, fear, deep feelings of shame, discrimination, bleeding soul, rejection, rerejections, frustrating and dysfunctional relationship, solitude, pain, abortin, betrayal, belittled sunk so low to ask the love of her life to have a ménage à trois with her and his lover, ungrateful brother, and ... well in real life if you meet someone putting these all behind, you may congratulate them for merely surviving! Instead, you see her simply dusting off her soul and body, getting down to the business and turning out to rock.
Pure Nudity
Marina is honest in telling her story, her soul and her mind are totally naked, she is speaking her mind out loud, it is as if she is doing a psychological surgery on herself, as wild as possible, unravelling her deepest scars. This provides one with the courage to feel the fear of whatever one is afraid of, experiencing it to the fullest and then DO sth about it. I did, I faced one of my phobias and I was inspired by her bravery. Before reading her memoir, I liked Marina and thought of her as a strong woman, but now I don't like her, I do respect this lady, I envy her, she is a self-made whatever she is.
Hats off to James Kaplan
Great job man, reading every single sentence of the book was exactly as if I had Marina with me and hear her telling me about her story. I laughed, cried, went crazy, and experienced her intimate company through your words.
If one day I would be offered to write a memoir I want you to be my ghostwriter :)
After writing this review a whole clump of my hair had turned grey
Boy oh boy, it was hard to rate this book... I totally understand the fact that some people want to be religious, spiritual and blah blah blah ...yet I don't get the reason beyond their attempt to drop the jaws of women and men of science. I mean if you enjoy sth, then just enjoy it, you can even keep bragging about it, but what do u get out of trying to prove science wrong? Remember, science never fails and if you don't believe in it, you'd better unfriend me before I have the privilege to block you.
On some pages, I found Marina hardly trying to attack common sense and strive for questioning science, that was unbearable so I practised my scanning skill on those pages. If I get a remarkable score on my reading section in IELTS exam, Marina I owe it to your memoir! Another thing which saved me from this hell of absurdity and stupidity was the parallel read I did, whenever I was about to put down this book I went for Stephan Hawking's last book to wash all the nonsense away.
Matching soundtrack:
Even dead things feel your love by Petter Carlsen
.........................................................................
Not one of those awful characters out of a movie that gushes out the past while the violins play
A pretty rough childhood, devastating upbringing, dysfunctional family, communism, savage mental and physical punishments, fear, deep feelings of shame, discrimination, bleeding soul, rejection, rerejections, frustrating and dysfunctional relationship, solitude, pain, abortin, betrayal, belittled sunk so low to ask the love of her life to have a ménage à trois with her and his lover, ungrateful brother, and ... well in real life if you meet someone putting these all behind, you may congratulate them for merely surviving! Instead, you see her simply dusting off her soul and body, getting down to the business and turning out to rock.
Pure Nudity
Marina is honest in telling her story, her soul and her mind are totally naked, she is speaking her mind out loud, it is as if she is doing a psychological surgery on herself, as wild as possible, unravelling her deepest scars. This provides one with the courage to feel the fear of whatever one is afraid of, experiencing it to the fullest and then DO sth about it. I did, I faced one of my phobias and I was inspired by her bravery. Before reading her memoir, I liked Marina and thought of her as a strong woman, but now I don't like her, I do respect this lady, I envy her, she is a self-made whatever she is.
Hats off to James Kaplan
Great job man, reading every single sentence of the book was exactly as if I had Marina with me and hear her telling me about her story. I laughed, cried, went crazy, and experienced her intimate company through your words.
If one day I would be offered to write a memoir I want you to be my ghostwriter :)
After writing this review a whole clump of my hair had turned grey
Boy oh boy, it was hard to rate this book... I totally understand the fact that some people want to be religious, spiritual and blah blah blah ...yet I don't get the reason beyond their attempt to drop the jaws of women and men of science. I mean if you enjoy sth, then just enjoy it, you can even keep bragging about it, but what do u get out of trying to prove science wrong? Remember, science never fails and if you don't believe in it, you'd better unfriend me before I have the privilege to block you.
On some pages, I found Marina hardly trying to attack common sense and strive for questioning science, that was unbearable so I practised my scanning skill on those pages. If I get a remarkable score on my reading section in IELTS exam, Marina I owe it to your memoir! Another thing which saved me from this hell of absurdity and stupidity was the parallel read I did, whenever I was about to put down this book I went for Stephan Hawking's last book to wash all the nonsense away.
Matching soundtrack:
Even dead things feel your love by Petter Carlsen
May 14, 2025
An astonishing memoir by Abramovic, probably the most famous still-practicing performance artist. It's a fascinating life and the measured, matter-of-fact way she recounts the MOST outrageous performances--most involve some kind of harrowing, almost masochistic element--is mind expanding. There's a lot of testing of trust and possibility/certainty of bloodshed. Few people on earth would want to do what she does--most would probably question whether it's art. But she doesn't justify or psychologize it. She takes things to extremes to see what will happen--and we have to accept that this is a valid inquiry into expression, endurance, symbolic meaning, to really understand the story.
What an unusual, extreme human being. The straightforwardness of her description forces the reader to accept her on her own terms. Just a hint of this kind of commitment to what outwardly might seem a generally quixotic project: to prepare for her Great Wall of China walk, planned for years by her and her lover/soulmate Ulay (they even share a birthday), where the couple walked from each end of the Great Wall, to meet in the middle. But now they're falling apart--yet still plan to do it. It changes the meaning of the piece considerably. To get her act together for that project, she decides to do a 'Green Tara' retreat at a monastery near Dharamasala India. 3 months of silence, chanting the name of Green Tara 1,111,111 times. That's not even the walk. That's the prep. I can't imagine an artist more devoted, more committed, willing to go to any lengths to fulfill her vision.
And it's just as honest about her personal life and the extremes and the chances--art and life are one.
Just keeps getting better as it unfolds. In one part, she and her ultimate collaborator/lover have split up, she has landed a piece in the Venice Biennale, but they've given her the worst space--in the basement, no AC--in the International pavilion. and then--a look at art and politics/art/politics-- Montenegro (her native country post-Yugoslavia) invites her to represent itself and Serbia--in the middle of the war. Then renege as if they never offered it to her, in favor of some Socialist Realist landscape painter. One of the absolute lows.
So, she mounts a piece about war, a moving, tough piece that required her to sit on a pile of clean bones and meat-covered bones--which went maggoty in the four days of the piece--cleaning the bones as the videos display interviews with her parents, another with her in scientific gear telling a gruesome story she had heard from a rat catcher... She won the Golden Lion, best artist at the Biannale that year.
The story of this remarkable woman continues to unfold--so glad to be back in it!
Finished! Mesmerizing. What a portrait of absolute commitment to art, to the experiment that art is,, pushing the boundaries of the body, the mind, contact with the unseen--she takes us through the various performances of the last twenty years, including the most well known--the Artist Is Present, where she sat for three months, daily for eight hours, ten on weekends, not moving, in the atrium of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, opposite a stream of visitors who brought their own energy and sat as long as they wanted. Her exploration of 'long duration performance' has given birth to an institute, teaching the public the commitment and the endurance and the sensitivity of the artist--her 'presence'. One's presence. Any artist will find this book inspirational, and readers will have a look inside one of the most interesting figures of our time. Loved listening to this in audio, her matter of fact tone was the perfect counterweight to the extremes of this art form.
Sanity? Insanity? What is performance? Is it art? Why would someone do something like that to themselves? Such radical commitment at the bottom of it. She explains the difference between theater and performance art is that in performance, everything is real. The knives are real, the blood is real, the hardship is real. But working with Willem Dafoe in a theater piece, the Life and Death of Marina Abramovic, she opens to the possibility that theater is also real, that what the actor does, through his commitment, is as real as anything.
The book never stops rewarding us. I'll be thinking about her for a long, long time.
What an unusual, extreme human being. The straightforwardness of her description forces the reader to accept her on her own terms. Just a hint of this kind of commitment to what outwardly might seem a generally quixotic project: to prepare for her Great Wall of China walk, planned for years by her and her lover/soulmate Ulay (they even share a birthday), where the couple walked from each end of the Great Wall, to meet in the middle. But now they're falling apart--yet still plan to do it. It changes the meaning of the piece considerably. To get her act together for that project, she decides to do a 'Green Tara' retreat at a monastery near Dharamasala India. 3 months of silence, chanting the name of Green Tara 1,111,111 times. That's not even the walk. That's the prep. I can't imagine an artist more devoted, more committed, willing to go to any lengths to fulfill her vision.
And it's just as honest about her personal life and the extremes and the chances--art and life are one.
Just keeps getting better as it unfolds. In one part, she and her ultimate collaborator/lover have split up, she has landed a piece in the Venice Biennale, but they've given her the worst space--in the basement, no AC--in the International pavilion. and then--a look at art and politics/art/politics-- Montenegro (her native country post-Yugoslavia) invites her to represent itself and Serbia--in the middle of the war. Then renege as if they never offered it to her, in favor of some Socialist Realist landscape painter. One of the absolute lows.
So, she mounts a piece about war, a moving, tough piece that required her to sit on a pile of clean bones and meat-covered bones--which went maggoty in the four days of the piece--cleaning the bones as the videos display interviews with her parents, another with her in scientific gear telling a gruesome story she had heard from a rat catcher... She won the Golden Lion, best artist at the Biannale that year.
The story of this remarkable woman continues to unfold--so glad to be back in it!
Finished! Mesmerizing. What a portrait of absolute commitment to art, to the experiment that art is,, pushing the boundaries of the body, the mind, contact with the unseen--she takes us through the various performances of the last twenty years, including the most well known--the Artist Is Present, where she sat for three months, daily for eight hours, ten on weekends, not moving, in the atrium of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, opposite a stream of visitors who brought their own energy and sat as long as they wanted. Her exploration of 'long duration performance' has given birth to an institute, teaching the public the commitment and the endurance and the sensitivity of the artist--her 'presence'. One's presence. Any artist will find this book inspirational, and readers will have a look inside one of the most interesting figures of our time. Loved listening to this in audio, her matter of fact tone was the perfect counterweight to the extremes of this art form.
Sanity? Insanity? What is performance? Is it art? Why would someone do something like that to themselves? Such radical commitment at the bottom of it. She explains the difference between theater and performance art is that in performance, everything is real. The knives are real, the blood is real, the hardship is real. But working with Willem Dafoe in a theater piece, the Life and Death of Marina Abramovic, she opens to the possibility that theater is also real, that what the actor does, through his commitment, is as real as anything.
The book never stops rewarding us. I'll be thinking about her for a long, long time.
September 22, 2023
The 2010 show at MOMA in New York, “The Artist is Present” cemented Marina Abramovic’s brand –either a testament to the power of her work or to the extensive social media used to promote and circulate her performance. Abramovic was initially part of the avant-garde, focusing on an area of artistic practice rooted in resistance to the commodification of art. But Abramovic’s somehow managed to transform herself and her work into high-status, high-profile commodity in step with the hierarchical, success-obsessed, contemporary art world. Abramovic’s ghost-written memoir chronicles her life from a childhood as the neglected, abused daughter of elite communist party members in post-WW2 Yugoslavia to international art star. Yet her book’s curiously thin on details about art. Her representation of the ideas informing her work is often cursory, sometimes coming across as unexpectedly na?ve. For someone like me who’s, at best, ambivalent about Abramovic there’s nothing here likely to alter my views. Instead, this is very much a close-up of Abramovic’s personal experiences and opinions. I couldn’t help comparing this unfavourably to memoirs I’ve enjoyed by women like Viv Albertine, Cosey Fanni Tutti and Patti Smith, unlike these there’s no clear and compelling image presented here of wider cultural contexts. There’re also far too many instances of the kind of flavourless prose that seems a common feature of the ghost-written autobiography. Although I'm grateful the apparently "racist" observations that caused a stir when excerpts were previewed have been dialled back.
Yet I found it hard not to admire Abramovic’s tenacity and self-belief, as well as her ability to exploit the possibilities of her work in a male-dominated environment, and in doing so elevate the status of performance art as a genre. Personally, I’d have liked more on the artists and gallerists she encountered like Ricky Demarco or Fluxus members like the legendary Joseph Beuys. I’d also have appreciated a clearer sense of how the pieces she’s performed link to broader movements and influences: her early “Rhythm O,” for example, sounds like an extension of what Yoko Ono was doing in the 60s with “Cut Piece” but without the underlying conceptual sophistication. From her descriptions Abramovic’s process seems to be more instinctual than anything else, and although she references ideological concerns there’s no impression of anything that has the sustained political force I associate with figures like feminist Annie Sprinkle or Bob Flanagan, who also pushed his body to the limits in his practice but in doing so made persuasive statements about bodies and disability. Abramovic frequently cites her interest in the interaction between artist and audience but that seems to me a given in any performance-based art. She also talks at various points about her belief systems but these seem to be based on piecemeal plundering of other cultures – Tibetan Buddhist, "Aboriginal" Australian – mixed up with vague notions about cosmic consciousness, mindfulness, and ley lines blended into a ragbag, incoherent, personal philosophy. An irritating mixture that’s far too reminiscent of the shallow spiritualism popular in segments of the 60s’ counterculture and - more recently - resurrected in spin-offs from Western New Age movements.
The things I’d like to have seen explored, for example Abramovic’s transition from marginal artist to popular celebrity, linked to people like Lady GaGa, Jay-Z, and even Kim Kardashian, aren’t really covered here. One day she’s travelling around immersed in the art sphere, the next she’s magically working with fashion designers and being covered in popular magazines, the performance-art equivalent of figures like Warhol and Damien Hirst. I find it hard to accept this transition was as organic as her memoir suggests. I also wondered about the role of trauma in her process, certainly trauma’s represented as a fundamental part of her formative years but it’s not something she articulates in any depth here. And perhaps lack of depth is the fundamental problem I had with this. Previously I'd only encountered Abramovic through her work, I didn't find it particularly convincing but it sometimes raised intriguing questions and associations, after reading this account of surprisingly-superficial concepts and muddled intentions that's no longer an option.
Yet I found it hard not to admire Abramovic’s tenacity and self-belief, as well as her ability to exploit the possibilities of her work in a male-dominated environment, and in doing so elevate the status of performance art as a genre. Personally, I’d have liked more on the artists and gallerists she encountered like Ricky Demarco or Fluxus members like the legendary Joseph Beuys. I’d also have appreciated a clearer sense of how the pieces she’s performed link to broader movements and influences: her early “Rhythm O,” for example, sounds like an extension of what Yoko Ono was doing in the 60s with “Cut Piece” but without the underlying conceptual sophistication. From her descriptions Abramovic’s process seems to be more instinctual than anything else, and although she references ideological concerns there’s no impression of anything that has the sustained political force I associate with figures like feminist Annie Sprinkle or Bob Flanagan, who also pushed his body to the limits in his practice but in doing so made persuasive statements about bodies and disability. Abramovic frequently cites her interest in the interaction between artist and audience but that seems to me a given in any performance-based art. She also talks at various points about her belief systems but these seem to be based on piecemeal plundering of other cultures – Tibetan Buddhist, "Aboriginal" Australian – mixed up with vague notions about cosmic consciousness, mindfulness, and ley lines blended into a ragbag, incoherent, personal philosophy. An irritating mixture that’s far too reminiscent of the shallow spiritualism popular in segments of the 60s’ counterculture and - more recently - resurrected in spin-offs from Western New Age movements.
The things I’d like to have seen explored, for example Abramovic’s transition from marginal artist to popular celebrity, linked to people like Lady GaGa, Jay-Z, and even Kim Kardashian, aren’t really covered here. One day she’s travelling around immersed in the art sphere, the next she’s magically working with fashion designers and being covered in popular magazines, the performance-art equivalent of figures like Warhol and Damien Hirst. I find it hard to accept this transition was as organic as her memoir suggests. I also wondered about the role of trauma in her process, certainly trauma’s represented as a fundamental part of her formative years but it’s not something she articulates in any depth here. And perhaps lack of depth is the fundamental problem I had with this. Previously I'd only encountered Abramovic through her work, I didn't find it particularly convincing but it sometimes raised intriguing questions and associations, after reading this account of surprisingly-superficial concepts and muddled intentions that's no longer an option.
June 18, 2023
?????? ?? ?? ???? ??? ? ?????? ?? ?????? ??? ?? ???? ? ??? ?? ???? ?? ?? ??????? ????? ???? ??????? ??? ???? ??? ???? ?? ???? ?? ??????? ??????? ???? ?? ????? ???? ???? ?? ?? ??? ????? ???? ? ????. ?? ???? ????? ?? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ?? ?????? ??????? ?? ??? ?????? ???. ? ??
?? ?? ??? ? ??????? ??? ???? ????? ?? ?????? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ?? ?? ?? ??????? ??? ?? ??????? ?? ?? ?????? ????? ??? ?? ????? ????? ? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???? ???? ????? ??? ? ????? ??? ???? ???????
?? ?? ??? ?? ????? ????? ?? ????? ?? ?? ?? ??? ?????? ????? ?? ??? ?? ?????? ????? ????? ???????? ?? ??? ??????? ??????? ?? ??? ???? ??? ?? ?????? ??????? ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ????? ???. ?? ??? ?? ????? ?? ??? ????? ?? ?? ??? ???? ????? ?? ??? ??? ??? ?? ???? ????? ????? ???? ?? ?? ????? ?? ?????? ????? ? ????? ???? ???? ????? ?? ????? ?? ????
???? ??????????? ?????? ??? ?? ???????
?? ??? ?? ???????
?? ?? ??? ? ??????? ??? ???? ????? ?? ?????? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ?? ?? ?? ??????? ??? ?? ??????? ?? ?? ?????? ????? ??? ?? ????? ????? ? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???? ???? ????? ??? ? ????? ??? ???? ???????
?? ?? ??? ?? ????? ????? ?? ????? ?? ?? ?? ??? ?????? ????? ?? ??? ?? ?????? ????? ????? ???????? ?? ??? ??????? ??????? ?? ??? ???? ??? ?? ?????? ??????? ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ????? ???. ?? ??? ?? ????? ?? ??? ????? ?? ?? ??? ???? ????? ?? ??? ??? ??? ?? ???? ????? ????? ???? ?? ?? ????? ?? ?????? ????? ? ????? ???? ???? ????? ?? ????? ?? ????
???? ??????????? ?????? ??? ?? ???????
?? ??? ?? ???????
March 29, 2020
4/5
I really, really loved this book. And, mind you, I knew almost nothing about Marina prior to reading this. I’m more of a basic b when talking about art( I just like to admire a good old fashioned painting and that’s pretty much it) but reading this book opened my eyes so much about how complex and mind bending performance art can be. She’s a truly amazing, out of this world performer and yet such a flawed human being.
I loved her honesty and how raw she was in writing this book, maybe that’s why I felt so close to her. I just couldn’t wait to get home and listen to her more (audiobook read by the author). I can’t tell how much of the enjoyment was just me and my personal taste and how others would rapport to her work and story and voice, but it’s totally worth a try.
I really, really loved this book. And, mind you, I knew almost nothing about Marina prior to reading this. I’m more of a basic b when talking about art( I just like to admire a good old fashioned painting and that’s pretty much it) but reading this book opened my eyes so much about how complex and mind bending performance art can be. She’s a truly amazing, out of this world performer and yet such a flawed human being.
I loved her honesty and how raw she was in writing this book, maybe that’s why I felt so close to her. I just couldn’t wait to get home and listen to her more (audiobook read by the author). I can’t tell how much of the enjoyment was just me and my personal taste and how others would rapport to her work and story and voice, but it’s totally worth a try.
April 25, 2024
W wielu momentach nie rozumiem podej?cia do ?ycia Mariny, nie rozumiem te? jej sztuki, do?wiadczenia o jakich ona opowiada s? w wielu p?aszczyznach mi obce.
Nie mniej jest to wspania?a i fascynuj?ca opowie??. Mam wra?enie, ?e mimo ?e czyta?am ksi??k?, to spotka?am prawdziw? osob? i dane mi by?o zajrze? w g??b jej duszy.
Nie mniej jest to wspania?a i fascynuj?ca opowie??. Mam wra?enie, ?e mimo ?e czyta?am ksi??k?, to spotka?am prawdziw? osob? i dane mi by?o zajrze? w g??b jej duszy.
March 13, 2020
Re-read--sped through it just like last time!
Inspiring story :)
FIRST REVIEW:
Incredible!
One of the great things about Marina's story is that it surely inspired a rigorous dedication to it telling in the ghost writer, who has meticulously constructed a narrative that it's impossible not to read in Marina's voice.
It's insane the number of times she's been prepared to die for art, and I get the feeling she isn't done trying yet.
The men in her life were mostly bullshit, and a handful of the women weren't that much better either—but the ones who loved her along the path made sure her audience continued to build until today, when she effectively has a global stage.
Thanks to a ridiculously risky real estate deal decades ago, she wouldn't have needed to work ever again—but try telling that to her.
Essential reading to fans and non-fans alike, about the trials and tribulations of life, and how they never really stop, but about what is possible to achieve with practice and dedication—with detailed description of what that dedication consists of.
Inspiring story :)
FIRST REVIEW:
Incredible!
One of the great things about Marina's story is that it surely inspired a rigorous dedication to it telling in the ghost writer, who has meticulously constructed a narrative that it's impossible not to read in Marina's voice.
It's insane the number of times she's been prepared to die for art, and I get the feeling she isn't done trying yet.
The men in her life were mostly bullshit, and a handful of the women weren't that much better either—but the ones who loved her along the path made sure her audience continued to build until today, when she effectively has a global stage.
Thanks to a ridiculously risky real estate deal decades ago, she wouldn't have needed to work ever again—but try telling that to her.
Essential reading to fans and non-fans alike, about the trials and tribulations of life, and how they never really stop, but about what is possible to achieve with practice and dedication—with detailed description of what that dedication consists of.
November 27, 2020
4/5
Vis svars?iau skaitydama – k? gi Marina man primena? Galiausiai susivokiau. Marina atrodo toks meno Toliatas – savo ?sitikinim? per gerkl? neki?u, truput? apie visk?, truput? apie niek?, ramiu veidu, bet vis tiek truput? galvojant apie pinig?, kuris ?kris i? visoki? naivuoli?, vardan gero tikslo, bet komercij? ir ?vaizd? tikrai ne ? paskutin? viet? nustumiant. Tod?l papras?iausias ?sp?jimas visiems, tokiems kaip a?: dvasingumo sien?, per kurias Marina?ka eina, ?ia baisiai daug. ?ia Tibeto vienuoliai, k?d?s, paliktos dvasioms, kalb?jimas su aborigenais mintimis, nepavyk?s performansas, nes ? j? neatvyko vienuolis, kuris ?iaip i?būna po vandeniu valand? valandas, bet kai reikia t? parodyt prie? auditorij?, tai koj? paki?a visokie ten religiniai ?sitikinimai – a? ne d?l kit? gi toks dvasingas, nieko ?ia nedemonstruosiu, nes galias prarasiu. Kur dar Marinos matymai ir numatymai: nuo pasik?sinimo ? Jon? Pauli? II, pajaustos t?vo mirties, aplankiusios j? kaip kokia tais elektros i?krova, iki per nu?vitim? numatytas faktas, kad draug? savo kambaryje perstat?.... lov?!!! Nu, supratot.
Vis d?lto, kas baisiai ?domu, tai pats Marinos atvirumo aspektas. Kai ra?ai knyg? apie save, nesunku nuklysti ? visokius sav?s ir savo gyvenimo pagra?inimus. Bet Marina nebijo pasirodyti naivoka, patikli, vis brendanti ? tas pa?ias pelkes. Ji parodo, kad gali būti kie?iausia performans? meninink? pasaulyje, bet jei esi linkusi ? toksi?kus santykius, kuriuose aklai nematai partnerio nei?tikimybi?, tai niekas netrukdo po 12 met? toki? kan?i? nerti ? dar 12 met? pana?aus tipo skausmo. Ir gali kent?ti u?kiet?jusios komunist?s motinos nesibaigiant? smurt?, agresij? ir ?iaurum?, bet jai u?silenkus gali rasti jos dienora??ius su meil?s lai?kais meilu?iui, j? su?moginan?iais, o tada dejuoti, kad dabar jau j? supranti, dabar viskas ai?k?ja, viskas beveik atleista. Yra ir tu?tyb?s, gal kiek kelian?ios ?ypsen? bendrame dvasingumo kontekste, bet vis tiek labai logi?kos bet kokiam menininkui: kalbu apie performans?, bet bi?k? pam?tau visoki? ten ?taking? draugeli? vard? – ai ?ia dain? pad?jo para?yti Lou Reedas, ai ?ia at?jo Lady Gaga, ai ?ia vat aplink sukin?josi Bjork ir James Franco. Bet visokias tokias ?mogi?kas kliurkas, ne?tikinamus dialogus ir pagr??intus prisiminimus pagerina tai, kad Marina visk? papildo nuotraukomis, dienora??i? i?traukomis. Teko prisiskaityti tiek kritikos apie tai, kad skaityti apie performansus j? nematant yra visai ne?domu, bet man tai buvo pati geriausia knygos dalis – ?inoma, tur?ti vietos savoms meno interpretacijoms smagu, bet palyginti jas su pagrindine paties menininko id?ja man visada ?domu ir fantazijos laisvei visi?kai neki?a kojos.
Knyga autobiografij? kontekste yra neabejotinas ?viesulys. Atviras, nekeliant ne ra?ytojui joki? ne?tik?tin? reikalavim?, dar ir nepaprastai ?traukiantis. Vietomis keliantis ?ypsen?, nes nei?vengiama visoki? ?komunizmo neken?iu, bet pa?iūr?kit, kokie mano t?vai buvo herojai, va 10 puslapi? apra?ymas apie j? patirtis karuose ir va kiek mama tur?jo medali? ir kokia buvo dr?si iki pat mirties, kokia u?grūdinta“, o ir jau anks?iau min?t? pasiplaukiojim? dvasingumo vandenynuose. Bet Marina sugeba prikaustyti d?mes?, ?traukti ir ?tikinti, o svarbiausia – knyg? paversti tokia bittersweet, truput? sado-mazo pramoga. Bet ar ne tokie ir jos performansai, ne taip paprastuoju būdu būt? galima ir juos apibūdinti? Nepriimu visko kas knygoje para?yta u? gryn? pinig?, prakeikdama t? savo skepticizm?, bet knyg? rekomenduo?iau – ir visokiems ne meno, ir ne Marinos fanams, o ypa? tiems, kuriuos visi tie dvasingumai baisiai ve?a – ?ia vietos paaik?iojimams ir lengvai ?tikinam? sukr?timams ir gyvenim? pakeitimams – aps?iai.
Vis svars?iau skaitydama – k? gi Marina man primena? Galiausiai susivokiau. Marina atrodo toks meno Toliatas – savo ?sitikinim? per gerkl? neki?u, truput? apie visk?, truput? apie niek?, ramiu veidu, bet vis tiek truput? galvojant apie pinig?, kuris ?kris i? visoki? naivuoli?, vardan gero tikslo, bet komercij? ir ?vaizd? tikrai ne ? paskutin? viet? nustumiant. Tod?l papras?iausias ?sp?jimas visiems, tokiems kaip a?: dvasingumo sien?, per kurias Marina?ka eina, ?ia baisiai daug. ?ia Tibeto vienuoliai, k?d?s, paliktos dvasioms, kalb?jimas su aborigenais mintimis, nepavyk?s performansas, nes ? j? neatvyko vienuolis, kuris ?iaip i?būna po vandeniu valand? valandas, bet kai reikia t? parodyt prie? auditorij?, tai koj? paki?a visokie ten religiniai ?sitikinimai – a? ne d?l kit? gi toks dvasingas, nieko ?ia nedemonstruosiu, nes galias prarasiu. Kur dar Marinos matymai ir numatymai: nuo pasik?sinimo ? Jon? Pauli? II, pajaustos t?vo mirties, aplankiusios j? kaip kokia tais elektros i?krova, iki per nu?vitim? numatytas faktas, kad draug? savo kambaryje perstat?.... lov?!!! Nu, supratot.
Vis d?lto, kas baisiai ?domu, tai pats Marinos atvirumo aspektas. Kai ra?ai knyg? apie save, nesunku nuklysti ? visokius sav?s ir savo gyvenimo pagra?inimus. Bet Marina nebijo pasirodyti naivoka, patikli, vis brendanti ? tas pa?ias pelkes. Ji parodo, kad gali būti kie?iausia performans? meninink? pasaulyje, bet jei esi linkusi ? toksi?kus santykius, kuriuose aklai nematai partnerio nei?tikimybi?, tai niekas netrukdo po 12 met? toki? kan?i? nerti ? dar 12 met? pana?aus tipo skausmo. Ir gali kent?ti u?kiet?jusios komunist?s motinos nesibaigiant? smurt?, agresij? ir ?iaurum?, bet jai u?silenkus gali rasti jos dienora??ius su meil?s lai?kais meilu?iui, j? su?moginan?iais, o tada dejuoti, kad dabar jau j? supranti, dabar viskas ai?k?ja, viskas beveik atleista. Yra ir tu?tyb?s, gal kiek kelian?ios ?ypsen? bendrame dvasingumo kontekste, bet vis tiek labai logi?kos bet kokiam menininkui: kalbu apie performans?, bet bi?k? pam?tau visoki? ten ?taking? draugeli? vard? – ai ?ia dain? pad?jo para?yti Lou Reedas, ai ?ia at?jo Lady Gaga, ai ?ia vat aplink sukin?josi Bjork ir James Franco. Bet visokias tokias ?mogi?kas kliurkas, ne?tikinamus dialogus ir pagr??intus prisiminimus pagerina tai, kad Marina visk? papildo nuotraukomis, dienora??i? i?traukomis. Teko prisiskaityti tiek kritikos apie tai, kad skaityti apie performansus j? nematant yra visai ne?domu, bet man tai buvo pati geriausia knygos dalis – ?inoma, tur?ti vietos savoms meno interpretacijoms smagu, bet palyginti jas su pagrindine paties menininko id?ja man visada ?domu ir fantazijos laisvei visi?kai neki?a kojos.
Knyga autobiografij? kontekste yra neabejotinas ?viesulys. Atviras, nekeliant ne ra?ytojui joki? ne?tik?tin? reikalavim?, dar ir nepaprastai ?traukiantis. Vietomis keliantis ?ypsen?, nes nei?vengiama visoki? ?komunizmo neken?iu, bet pa?iūr?kit, kokie mano t?vai buvo herojai, va 10 puslapi? apra?ymas apie j? patirtis karuose ir va kiek mama tur?jo medali? ir kokia buvo dr?si iki pat mirties, kokia u?grūdinta“, o ir jau anks?iau min?t? pasiplaukiojim? dvasingumo vandenynuose. Bet Marina sugeba prikaustyti d?mes?, ?traukti ir ?tikinti, o svarbiausia – knyg? paversti tokia bittersweet, truput? sado-mazo pramoga. Bet ar ne tokie ir jos performansai, ne taip paprastuoju būdu būt? galima ir juos apibūdinti? Nepriimu visko kas knygoje para?yta u? gryn? pinig?, prakeikdama t? savo skepticizm?, bet knyg? rekomenduo?iau – ir visokiems ne meno, ir ne Marinos fanams, o ypa? tiems, kuriuos visi tie dvasingumai baisiai ve?a – ?ia vietos paaik?iojimams ir lengvai ?tikinam? sukr?timams ir gyvenim? pakeitimams – aps?iai.
January 12, 2024
I came to this after having been overwhelmed by Abramovic's recent retrospective at the RA: this is an interesting introduction to the life of this divisive artist but don't expect it to be illuminating about her art - she doesn't seem to have an intellectual or conceptual underpinning to her art, it seems to be more instinctual than conforming to any kind of manifesto, even a shifting one. So yes, her work is about bodies, pain, death, sex and violence, but also about communication and, especially towards the end with pieces like 'The Artist is Present', about community.
There feels like there's some intentional direction at the start with her choosing performance art, 'immaterial art', as a rebellion against the commoditization and wealth fetishisation of capitalism but that position moves with her pieces like 'Transitory Art for Human Use' (the mineral slabs that audiences are invited to sit, stand or lie against). And there's perhaps less said than I'd have liked about her early, and most deliberately shocking, pieces like the 'Rhythm' series: 'Rhythm 0' where Abramovic laid out 72 objects including knives, chains and a gun and gave her audience permission to do anything they wanted to her body - she still carries the scars - is perhaps the single boldest, most courageous and terrifying art I've experienced. But it remains enigmatic or, rather, there's nothing that the artist adds to the experience (and I've only seen the weapons laid out on the table and still photos from that actual event).
That aside, this is enlightening on Abramovic's personal life: her cold upbringing in the former Yugoslavia, her disturbing relationship with her mother, her long love affair and artistic partnership with Ulay. The transition from young and fresh artist to art world superstar who graces fashion shows and celebrity galas isn't really spelt out and there's certainly lots of annoying 'spiritual' stuff from ley lines to buddhist retreats and supernatural beliefs, and a certain amount of egotism on teaching the Abramovic Method.
But whatever we might think about her, I find Abromovic's art powerful and emotive, challenging and confrontational, not least her attention to issues around female bodies and danger, and the articulation of trauma and anger. She's a bold woman who walks that familiar tightrope between self-belief and self-doubt - and this book might skim the surface but is intriguing and interesting at the same time.
And it's worth adding that hearing this audio read in Abramovic's own heavily accented voice added to the experience for me.
There feels like there's some intentional direction at the start with her choosing performance art, 'immaterial art', as a rebellion against the commoditization and wealth fetishisation of capitalism but that position moves with her pieces like 'Transitory Art for Human Use' (the mineral slabs that audiences are invited to sit, stand or lie against). And there's perhaps less said than I'd have liked about her early, and most deliberately shocking, pieces like the 'Rhythm' series: 'Rhythm 0' where Abramovic laid out 72 objects including knives, chains and a gun and gave her audience permission to do anything they wanted to her body - she still carries the scars - is perhaps the single boldest, most courageous and terrifying art I've experienced. But it remains enigmatic or, rather, there's nothing that the artist adds to the experience (and I've only seen the weapons laid out on the table and still photos from that actual event).
That aside, this is enlightening on Abramovic's personal life: her cold upbringing in the former Yugoslavia, her disturbing relationship with her mother, her long love affair and artistic partnership with Ulay. The transition from young and fresh artist to art world superstar who graces fashion shows and celebrity galas isn't really spelt out and there's certainly lots of annoying 'spiritual' stuff from ley lines to buddhist retreats and supernatural beliefs, and a certain amount of egotism on teaching the Abramovic Method.
But whatever we might think about her, I find Abromovic's art powerful and emotive, challenging and confrontational, not least her attention to issues around female bodies and danger, and the articulation of trauma and anger. She's a bold woman who walks that familiar tightrope between self-belief and self-doubt - and this book might skim the surface but is intriguing and interesting at the same time.
And it's worth adding that hearing this audio read in Abramovic's own heavily accented voice added to the experience for me.
January 9, 2022
W dzia?aniach Mariny Abramovi? odnalaz?am to co? ju? dawno temu, jednak teraz, po przeczytaniu ksi??ki, czuje, ?e jej twórczo?? b?dzie oddzia?ywa?a na mnie jeszcze przez bardzo d?ugi czas.
January 1, 2018
Ik warm restjes op van Oudejaarsavond, drink er het bodempje bubbels van verleden jaar bij. Verder is er het plan om van 2017 niet veel meer dan het goeie mee te nemen. Mooi plan.
Maar auw, het is buiten het hart gerekend. Vandaag heb ik ‘Walk Through Walls’ uitgelezen, de memoires van Marina Abramovi?.
Toen ik verleden week, in de kerstperiode van 2017, op een afgelegen plek de rust opzocht en in het boek begon, besloot Marina al snel mij een paar meppen te geven. Ze vertelt (samen met ghostwriter James Kaplan) haar persoonlijke verhaal. Bij zo’n autobiografie moet je natuurlijk op je hoede zijn. Er zijn geen ouders, geliefden, kunstkenners in de buurt die haar kunnen onderbreken om één en ander te nuanceren.
Ik denk dat ik van nature al een behoorlijk achterdochtige lezer ben en het nuanceren al vanaf bladzijde één meeneem. Vanaf pagina één ben ik meegegaan, en Marina heeft me verleden jaar (ha!) al een paar keer tot tranen toe bewogen. Wat een goed boek over het overschrijden van grenzen is dit. In 2018 moet ik nog verder achterhalen waarom het me zo heeft geraakt.
Ze stelt me vragen over mijn eigen principes. Als ze zegt dat ze zit te trillen van angst als er turbulentie is in het vliegtuig, dan denk ik: geen last van. ‘Maar’, voegt ze eraan toe, ’als het om mijn werk gaat, gooi ik alle voorzichtigheid overboord.’ Op dat moment gaan de radertjes in mijn hersenen in het werk.
Ook vandaag heeft ze me bij het uitlezen van haar memoires in mijn maag gestompt en een paar keer de keel dichtgeknepen. De beelden van Ulay (haar ex in de liefde en in de kunst) die tijdens haar performance ‘The Artist is Present’ in het MoMA in New York plotseling tegenover haar ging zitten, zijn ondertussen bekend. Ook ik heb ze gezien.
Het zijn niet hun emoties die mij emotioneerden. Ook nu niet tijdens het lezen. Het is Abramovi?’ beschrijving van de performance zelf die mij raakt. Ik moet dringend eens drie maanden lang acht uur op een stoel zitten, zonder pauze, zonder eten of drinken, en doe mij maar dagelijks tientallen onbekenden op een stoel voor me.
Het is al even geleden dat ik nog een boek heb gelezen waarvan ik na afloop spijt heb dat ik niet méér ezelsoren heb gemaakt, niet méér namen heb genoteerd. Om maar te zeggen dat ‘Walk Through Walls’ een heel inspirerend boek is. Het perfecte boek, eigenlijk, om 2018 te beginnen en het goeie van 2017 mee te nemen.
Niemand heeft gezegd dat het goeie altijd gemakkelijk is.
Deze bespreking en andere tips vindt u onder TIP op .
???Walk Through Walls’ is uit het Engels vertaald door Petra C. van der Eerden (en de ultieme corrector had ietsje wakkerder kunnen zijn).
Maar auw, het is buiten het hart gerekend. Vandaag heb ik ‘Walk Through Walls’ uitgelezen, de memoires van Marina Abramovi?.
Toen ik verleden week, in de kerstperiode van 2017, op een afgelegen plek de rust opzocht en in het boek begon, besloot Marina al snel mij een paar meppen te geven. Ze vertelt (samen met ghostwriter James Kaplan) haar persoonlijke verhaal. Bij zo’n autobiografie moet je natuurlijk op je hoede zijn. Er zijn geen ouders, geliefden, kunstkenners in de buurt die haar kunnen onderbreken om één en ander te nuanceren.
Ik denk dat ik van nature al een behoorlijk achterdochtige lezer ben en het nuanceren al vanaf bladzijde één meeneem. Vanaf pagina één ben ik meegegaan, en Marina heeft me verleden jaar (ha!) al een paar keer tot tranen toe bewogen. Wat een goed boek over het overschrijden van grenzen is dit. In 2018 moet ik nog verder achterhalen waarom het me zo heeft geraakt.
Ze stelt me vragen over mijn eigen principes. Als ze zegt dat ze zit te trillen van angst als er turbulentie is in het vliegtuig, dan denk ik: geen last van. ‘Maar’, voegt ze eraan toe, ’als het om mijn werk gaat, gooi ik alle voorzichtigheid overboord.’ Op dat moment gaan de radertjes in mijn hersenen in het werk.
Ook vandaag heeft ze me bij het uitlezen van haar memoires in mijn maag gestompt en een paar keer de keel dichtgeknepen. De beelden van Ulay (haar ex in de liefde en in de kunst) die tijdens haar performance ‘The Artist is Present’ in het MoMA in New York plotseling tegenover haar ging zitten, zijn ondertussen bekend. Ook ik heb ze gezien.
Het zijn niet hun emoties die mij emotioneerden. Ook nu niet tijdens het lezen. Het is Abramovi?’ beschrijving van de performance zelf die mij raakt. Ik moet dringend eens drie maanden lang acht uur op een stoel zitten, zonder pauze, zonder eten of drinken, en doe mij maar dagelijks tientallen onbekenden op een stoel voor me.
Het is al even geleden dat ik nog een boek heb gelezen waarvan ik na afloop spijt heb dat ik niet méér ezelsoren heb gemaakt, niet méér namen heb genoteerd. Om maar te zeggen dat ‘Walk Through Walls’ een heel inspirerend boek is. Het perfecte boek, eigenlijk, om 2018 te beginnen en het goeie van 2017 mee te nemen.
Niemand heeft gezegd dat het goeie altijd gemakkelijk is.
Deze bespreking en andere tips vindt u onder TIP op .
???Walk Through Walls’ is uit het Engels vertaald door Petra C. van der Eerden (en de ultieme corrector had ietsje wakkerder kunnen zijn).
May 19, 2020
R?kti iki balso netekimo? Pjaustyti save, stov?ti visi?kai nuogai prie? publik?? Ne?iaudint i?s?d?ti prie? ?iūrov? 13 valand?? Kam visa tai? Keistuole vadinta M. Abramovi? savo karjer? apibūdina kaip pragar? ir didel? kov?, siekiant ?rodyti, kad performanso ?anras būt? pripa?intas kaip ir kitos meno rū?ys.
Balkani?ka asmeninio gyvenimo ir kūrybos sintez?. Radikaliai atvira, apnuoginanti siel? ir i??aukianti skaitytoj? emocijas knyga. Autor? savo memuaruose atskleid?ia ne tik sud?tingus santykius su t?vais (jos ir mamos linija man buvo viena stipriausi? knygoje ir nor?josi, kuo daugiau), bet ir parodo tikr?j? nepatog? men?. Men?, reikalaujant? fizin?s ir dvasin?s i?tverm?s, ver?iant? jaustis nejaukiai bei per?engti savo skausmo slenkst?.
Jeigu anks?iau a? nesidom?jau perfomanso ?anru, tai po knygos supratau, kad jie tarsi socialiniai eksperimentai, kuriuos galima nagrin?ti ne tik per ?mogaus galimybi?, bet ir psichologin? prizm?.
Kai a? skai?iau ?i? knyg?, sulaukiau kit? skaitytoj? ?inu?i?: pavyd?iu, kad j? skaitai. Tai dabar a? pavyd?iu tiems, kurie dar tik skaitys, nes man u?vertus paskutin? puslap?, nor?josi prad?ti skaityti i? naujo. Neabejotinai viena stipriausi? ir geriausi? mano gyvenime skaityt? knyg?.
Beje, leidykla "Penguin Books" (i?leidusi ?i? knyg? ? pasaul?) teigia, kad Lietuva yra viena daugiausiai knyg? perkan?i? ?ali?. Kas juos labai nustebino, o mane dar labiau d?iugina.
March 27, 2019
Marina yra genijus. Ko gero ?odis genijus tod?l ir neturi moteri?kos gimin?s atitikmens, nes genijus yra ne ?mogus, ne vyras ir ne moteris. Skai?iau pasitaupydama. Nei?kentus nu?jau ? film? praeit? ?e?tadien?. Tai k? skai?iau po filmo, suk?l? trigub? efekt?. Jaudina jos nei?senkantis id?j? aruodas, rodos, visa mūz? aib? s?di jai ant kupros ?sikibus ? jos ilgus juodus plaukus ir klykia ? aus?: daryk, daryk, daryyyk. Jaudina jos biografija nuo vaikyst?s reikal? iki meili?-nemeili?. Jaudina jos patirtys nuo ?siliejimo ? Australijos aborigen? gretas iki Brazilijos ?aman? seans?. S?d?iu su vis dar neu?sidaran?iais ?abtais - koks gilus, koks spalvotas, koks a?trus Marinos asmeninis ir kūrybinis gyvenimas. Jaudina jos noras eiti kiaurai sienas, pa?adinant visas ?mogi?k?sias jusles, atsiverti pasauliui, susilieti su kosmosu per skausm?, per nepatogumus, per kūno ir sielos apsivalym?. Buvo nepaprastai ?domu su?inoti daugiau apie performans? kaip meno rū??. ?kvepianti Marina, ?kvepianti knyga (o dar tas dizainas vir?elio!!!). 100 i? 5 ?vaig?d?i?.
"Mane domina tik menas, galintis pakeisti visuomen?s ideologij?... Meno kūrinys, orientuotas tik ? estetines vertybes, yra neu?baigtas."
"Mane domina tik menas, galintis pakeisti visuomen?s ideologij?... Meno kūrinys, orientuotas tik ? estetines vertybes, yra neu?baigtas."
May 19, 2024
?wietna biografia i niezwykle fascynuj?ce ?ycie, ale sztuka performance’u jest dla mnie nie do końca zrozumia?a, a momentami wr?cz niepokoj?ca.
January 6, 2023
About 10 years ago I saw the theater production “the life and death of Marina Abramovic”, a production by Bob Wilson, starring Marina Abramovic herself and Willem Dafoe. And that still is one of the most imaginative visual spectacles I have ever seen. So, this autobiography has been on my want-to-read list for a long time. Reading it has clarified quite a bit, especially her sheltered childhood in a “Red Bourgeois” environment in what is now Serbia (then Tito's Yugoslavia) and her eternal obsession with getting love and attention from her very cold mother. A psychologist/psychiatrist can probably explain perfectly why Abramovic always pushed the physical and mental boundaries in her artistic performances, even to the point of masochism, and explicitly went on an exhibitionistic tour. Her ‘performance art’ is not my genre, I must admit, but it remains intriguing.
Like any autobiography, at times this work is strongly apologetic. Abramovic finds it necessary to reveal her love life in great detail and she also settles some scores along the way. The regularly recurring magic-realistic elements are also not really my thing. Towards the end you can notice that she starts to see herself more and more as an institution, and shows off her successes and her parties in the artistic jet set. That means that this book gradually loses its momentum and eventually becomes a narcissistic self-aggrandizement. All in all, a readable overview of one of the most intriguing artists of the past 50 years.
Like any autobiography, at times this work is strongly apologetic. Abramovic finds it necessary to reveal her love life in great detail and she also settles some scores along the way. The regularly recurring magic-realistic elements are also not really my thing. Towards the end you can notice that she starts to see herself more and more as an institution, and shows off her successes and her parties in the artistic jet set. That means that this book gradually loses its momentum and eventually becomes a narcissistic self-aggrandizement. All in all, a readable overview of one of the most intriguing artists of the past 50 years.
December 29, 2019
Abramovi? memuarus nor?jau perskaityt seniai. Vis? pirma d?l to, kad ?ita knyga ?iauriai patiko i? esm?s visiems. Tai kaip ?prasta ?m? kelt ?tarim? ir kirb?jo klausimas – bet nu kaip jau taip viisieeemss? Antra d?l to, kad jau senokai man labai ?domūs jos performansai. Net savo stud?iams esu rod?iusi per paskait? Rhytm 0 (tiesa, paskaita buvo apie skandinav? minimalistin? poezij?, bet a? ten ard?iaus nuo Lyotardo iki Abramovi? :D ). Tre?ia prie?astis – tokia bukai asociatyvin?. Tik?jaus, kad bus taip faina kaip Patti Smith ?Tiesiog vaikai“, nes nu memuarai, menas, visk?, o Smith mane paliet? iki kaul? ?iulp?.
Vertinti ?mogaus memuarus gali būt tricky, nes nevertinsi jo gyvenimo, neimsi ai?kint, kad vat man nepatinka ji kaip ?mOgus. O Marinos gyvenimas – tikrai be proto ?domus, galbūt ka?kam skaitant kirb?jo būtent taip kaip man kirb?jo skaitant Smith (kai imi galvot wtf k? a? darau su savo gyvenimu, a? turiu keliaut po pasaul? ir kurt men? ir t.t.). Bet man jos gyvenimo istorija nesurezonavo. Man nepatiko su?inoti smulkmenas apie t? paslapting?, misti?k? moter?, slypin?i? u? jos performanc? (ypa? ankstyv?j?. V?liau ten prasid?jo tie ?velgimai ? akis, kas man jau visi?kai no-no). Nepatiko su?inoti, kokiomis aplinkyb?mis kūr?, k? siek? savo menu mums parodyti. Neveltui pirma pamoka literatūr? besimokantiems vi??iukams būna nu?udyti autori?. Kai tu j? imi pa?inti, kai jis sako, k? nor?jo tau pasakyti, viskas taip subanal?ja. Nebūtime mes su ja draug?s, taip sakant, nes ji men? kelia auk??iau visko, tiki min?i? skaitymais, tiki energetika ir kitais dalykais, kurie man tiesiog visai juokingi.
Tiesa, istorijos apie jos t?vus ir vaikyst? – stipriausia memuar? pus?. Surijau pirmus 100 psl per vien? dien?, o antrus per por? sav... Labai ?domu skaityt apie Jugoslavij?, to meto politik?, jos i?prot?jusi? motin?, gra?uol? don?uan? t?v?. Apie savo vaikyst? ji ra?o kur kas gyviau, juokingiau – su humoru ir tam tikra sveika retrospektyva. Toliau jau to cinkelio liko vis ma?iau. Tai tiesiog ?domaus ?mogaus gyvenimo atpasakojimas, bet toks vietomis nusaldintas, o vietom siaubingai nudramatintas su ?auktukais ir ?Oh God!“, su meil?m ir i?davyst?m, ir ?mes myl?jom?s tris dienas ir tris naktis“. Gra?u, faina, bet nebeliko to smagaus, ?iauraus, tamsaus humoro, nuo kurio taip promisingly prasid?jo memuarai.
Tad visgi lieku iki galo nesupratusi viso ?io haipo. Gyvenimas jos ?domus, performancai kai kurie tikrai labai stiprūs ir ne?antys stog? (bet ne visi), o knyga – man ka?kuo primin? ?Ap?viestoji“ – kai ?mogaus gyvenimas ?domus, bet nu ?mogus tai nebūtinai padefoltu ra?ytojas. O knygas geras turbūt geriau ra?o ra?ytojai. 3.5 ?vaig?d?s nuo man?s.
October 28, 2023
Her art is physical and demanding. It requires concentration, determination and endurance. Both her parents were brave and heroic partisans in WWII and she believes they passed on to her the steely commitment needed to “walk through walls”.
Until you understand her childhood and youth you might question how Marina Abramavic, who pioneered performance art, came from Tito’s drab grey Yugoslavia. While physically and emotionally abused by her parents, she did not live in a tiny flat with 20 relatives and was not deprived of the outside world or art. Her parents' connections helped, but she achieved on her own and her own terms.
Leaving Belgrade behind (in ways that today’s immigration rules would never permit) free of parents (more liberating for her than communism that didn’t really touch her) she carved out a new life. She loves, she dares, she performs, she travels, buys and sells homes, works with important galleries and agents, forms a foundation and prepares, like an athlete, for her performances.
You learn what it is like to sit motionless for hours/days, how one feels when self mutilating, the logistics of laying on ice and how you have to trust someone with an arrow pointed to your heart. Since it is not much discussed, nudity does not seem to be an issue for her. The best descriptions (among many great descriptions) of the emotional and physical feelings while performing were those of The Great Wall walk and “The Artist is Present”.
You follow Abramovic to meditation and cleansing retreats. You see her purification and awareness regimen for herself and others (including Lady Gaga).
The relationships with Ulay and Paulo are important for how long and deep they were and how difficult the abrupt separations were.
The book is filled with photos. There are some obligatory color photos of colleagues, but the highlights are the many B & W that help the reader envision the work.
Abramovic is vibrant and passionate. She is art and art is her. The story is hers, but in writing a life this big, decisions had to be made. Credit must be given to James Kaplan who is most likely the one who set the tone, decided on the pace, emphasis and general overview.
I highly recommend this book for those who appreciate performance art.
Until you understand her childhood and youth you might question how Marina Abramavic, who pioneered performance art, came from Tito’s drab grey Yugoslavia. While physically and emotionally abused by her parents, she did not live in a tiny flat with 20 relatives and was not deprived of the outside world or art. Her parents' connections helped, but she achieved on her own and her own terms.
Leaving Belgrade behind (in ways that today’s immigration rules would never permit) free of parents (more liberating for her than communism that didn’t really touch her) she carved out a new life. She loves, she dares, she performs, she travels, buys and sells homes, works with important galleries and agents, forms a foundation and prepares, like an athlete, for her performances.
You learn what it is like to sit motionless for hours/days, how one feels when self mutilating, the logistics of laying on ice and how you have to trust someone with an arrow pointed to your heart. Since it is not much discussed, nudity does not seem to be an issue for her. The best descriptions (among many great descriptions) of the emotional and physical feelings while performing were those of The Great Wall walk and “The Artist is Present”.
You follow Abramovic to meditation and cleansing retreats. You see her purification and awareness regimen for herself and others (including Lady Gaga).
The relationships with Ulay and Paulo are important for how long and deep they were and how difficult the abrupt separations were.
The book is filled with photos. There are some obligatory color photos of colleagues, but the highlights are the many B & W that help the reader envision the work.
Abramovic is vibrant and passionate. She is art and art is her. The story is hers, but in writing a life this big, decisions had to be made. Credit must be given to James Kaplan who is most likely the one who set the tone, decided on the pace, emphasis and general overview.
I highly recommend this book for those who appreciate performance art.
May 21, 2017
Bomba o non bomba?
Senza dubbio una discreta bomba.
Marina Abramovi? è un personaggio micidiale.
Mi incuriosiva, volevo saperne di più.
Qui lei non si tira indietro neanche di un centimetro e ne esce un’autobiografia che ha ben poco da invidiare a Open di Agassi.
Già mi manca. Per ora quattro stelle ma non è detto che ci ripensi. [78/100]
Sul suo metodo di insegnamento:
Per i primi tre mesi piazzo ogni studente davanti a un tavolo, con sopra mille fogli bianchi e, sotto, un cestino. Ogni giorno devono stare lì e scrivere le loro idee. Le idee che gradiscono le mettono sul lato destro del tavolo; quelle che non gradiscono le buttano nel cestino. Ma il cestino non viene mai svuotato.
Dopo tre mesi, prendo solo le idee finite nel cestino. Non guardo neanche le idee che piacevano. Il cestino, infatti, è un tesoro, una miniera delle cose che hanno paura di fare.
Su The Artist is Present, la mega-performance di tre mesi al MoMA:
La pura mole di amore, l’amore incondizionato di perfetti sconosciuti: si è trattato della sensazione più incredibile che avessi mai avuto. “Non so se questa è arte,” dissi a me stessa. “Non so cos’è quello che sto provando né so cosa sia l’arte.” Avevo sempre pensato all’arte come a qualcosa espresso mediante determinati media: pittura, scultura, fotografia, scrittura, cinema, musica, architettura. E sì, anche performance. Ma questa performance andava oltre la performance. Questa era vita. Può essere l’arte isolata dalla vita? Deve esserlo? Cominciai a essere sempre più convinta che l’arte deve essere vita – deve appartenere a tutti. Sentivo, con un’intensità mai provata prima, che ciò che avevo creato aveva uno scopo.
Senza dubbio una discreta bomba.
Marina Abramovi? è un personaggio micidiale.
Mi incuriosiva, volevo saperne di più.
Qui lei non si tira indietro neanche di un centimetro e ne esce un’autobiografia che ha ben poco da invidiare a Open di Agassi.
Già mi manca. Per ora quattro stelle ma non è detto che ci ripensi. [78/100]
Sul suo metodo di insegnamento:
Per i primi tre mesi piazzo ogni studente davanti a un tavolo, con sopra mille fogli bianchi e, sotto, un cestino. Ogni giorno devono stare lì e scrivere le loro idee. Le idee che gradiscono le mettono sul lato destro del tavolo; quelle che non gradiscono le buttano nel cestino. Ma il cestino non viene mai svuotato.
Dopo tre mesi, prendo solo le idee finite nel cestino. Non guardo neanche le idee che piacevano. Il cestino, infatti, è un tesoro, una miniera delle cose che hanno paura di fare.
Su The Artist is Present, la mega-performance di tre mesi al MoMA:
La pura mole di amore, l’amore incondizionato di perfetti sconosciuti: si è trattato della sensazione più incredibile che avessi mai avuto. “Non so se questa è arte,” dissi a me stessa. “Non so cos’è quello che sto provando né so cosa sia l’arte.” Avevo sempre pensato all’arte come a qualcosa espresso mediante determinati media: pittura, scultura, fotografia, scrittura, cinema, musica, architettura. E sì, anche performance. Ma questa performance andava oltre la performance. Questa era vita. Può essere l’arte isolata dalla vita? Deve esserlo? Cominciai a essere sempre più convinta che l’arte deve essere vita – deve appartenere a tutti. Sentivo, con un’intensità mai provata prima, che ciò che avevo creato aveva uno scopo.
March 30, 2019
Marina ir ?i knyga verta ne tik ?i? penki?, bet ir vis? kit? dangaus ?vaig?d?i?.
M?gavausi kiekvienu knygos puslapiu. Kiekvienu jos apra?ytu performansu. Visgi koki? didel? dovan? padovanojo mums Marina, taip noriai ?sileidusi mus ? savo vid? ir visk? nuo?ird?iai aprod?iusi. Tie apra?yti vidiniai i?gyvenimai performans? metu leido bent jau trumpam atsidurti jos kūne ir i?gyventi bent dalel? t? a?tri? pojū?i?, suprasti tai, kas daug kam (bent jau i? pirmo ?vilgsnio) atrodo kaip sadomazochisti?ka beprasmyb?. Sunku nesi?av?ti tokia dr?sa, i?tverme, atkaklumu ir valios nepalau?iamumu. Skausmo vengimas ir malonum? vaikymasis yra viena i? did?iausi? ?iuolaikinio ?mogaus yd?, tod?l mums labai svarbu i?girsti tai, k? sako Marinos menas.
Man taip pat buvo nepaprastai ?domu skaityti apie ?vairias dvasines praktikas, kuriose dalyvavo Marina. Jau beveik metus retkar?iais susim?stau apie dalyvavim? Vipassanos 10 dien? tylos stovykloje ir ?i knyga buvo atsakymas ? mano dvejones. Tyla yra dar vienas mums taip reikalingas gyvenimo nepatogumas, nuo kurio norisi nuolat b?gti, kad nereik?t? susidurti akis ? ak? su savimi ir savo viduje tūnan?iomis pabaisomis. Tai ma?iausiai, k? galiu pasiry?ti padaryti perskai?iusi ?i? knyg?.
U?versti tokios geros knygos paskutin? puslap?, ?inant, kad tai yra autobiografija, visada yra liūdna, nes supranti, kad gyvenim? ir autobiografij? kiekis yra limituotas, net tokiam ?stabiam ?mogui kaip Marinai. Bet tai, k? ji vis dar i?darin?ja būdama beveik 50 met? vyresn? u? mane, priver?ia pergalvoti savo gyvenim? ir susim?styti, kuri gi i? mūs? yra labiau susenusi:)
M?gavausi kiekvienu knygos puslapiu. Kiekvienu jos apra?ytu performansu. Visgi koki? didel? dovan? padovanojo mums Marina, taip noriai ?sileidusi mus ? savo vid? ir visk? nuo?ird?iai aprod?iusi. Tie apra?yti vidiniai i?gyvenimai performans? metu leido bent jau trumpam atsidurti jos kūne ir i?gyventi bent dalel? t? a?tri? pojū?i?, suprasti tai, kas daug kam (bent jau i? pirmo ?vilgsnio) atrodo kaip sadomazochisti?ka beprasmyb?. Sunku nesi?av?ti tokia dr?sa, i?tverme, atkaklumu ir valios nepalau?iamumu. Skausmo vengimas ir malonum? vaikymasis yra viena i? did?iausi? ?iuolaikinio ?mogaus yd?, tod?l mums labai svarbu i?girsti tai, k? sako Marinos menas.
Man taip pat buvo nepaprastai ?domu skaityti apie ?vairias dvasines praktikas, kuriose dalyvavo Marina. Jau beveik metus retkar?iais susim?stau apie dalyvavim? Vipassanos 10 dien? tylos stovykloje ir ?i knyga buvo atsakymas ? mano dvejones. Tyla yra dar vienas mums taip reikalingas gyvenimo nepatogumas, nuo kurio norisi nuolat b?gti, kad nereik?t? susidurti akis ? ak? su savimi ir savo viduje tūnan?iomis pabaisomis. Tai ma?iausiai, k? galiu pasiry?ti padaryti perskai?iusi ?i? knyg?.
U?versti tokios geros knygos paskutin? puslap?, ?inant, kad tai yra autobiografija, visada yra liūdna, nes supranti, kad gyvenim? ir autobiografij? kiekis yra limituotas, net tokiam ?stabiam ?mogui kaip Marinai. Bet tai, k? ji vis dar i?darin?ja būdama beveik 50 met? vyresn? u? mane, priver?ia pergalvoti savo gyvenim? ir susim?styti, kuri gi i? mūs? yra labiau susenusi:)
July 8, 2019
It was Sex and the City that introduced me to Marina Abramovi? and just like Carrie Bradshaw, I too, was very sceptical about performance artists. Now I understand why. To read about a performance is not enough - you have to experience it. I think on some level this book IS an another performance and as a reader you become part of M. Abramovi? art. Her ability to tell a story is at the same time elegant AND sharp. It leaves you speechless. It leaves you confused. And after you're finished with this book (and this book is finished with you) it feels you've been guided through a very multicolour, emotionally difficult, challenging but full-of-life walk. It's not your walk, but somehow you become part of it. And that's what true art does - it connects everything.
December 17, 2016
It is extremely rare for me to say that I was better off not knowing something. This is one of those moments. I have been an admirer of Marina Abramovic’s work for many years. The depth and originality of her concepts amazes me, and the emotional intensity moves me very deeply. My exposure to her work was only through videos and descriptions. Finally I got to see her in 2015, at a TED meeting in Vancouver, and my admiration for her peaked as I saw her perform, which involved each of the two thousand attendees at the conference.
I should have kept it at that, and I wish I never picked up this book. While I enjoyed to know about her interesting life and experiences, I should have stayed away from knowing what were the things that often inspired her creations. Here is a person who believed that Australian aborigines telepathically spoke to her, and she wanted to use an Indian guru who claimed he could stay underwater for hours (and didn't want to take part in her performance in New York only because his power goes away when he tries to do it for non-religious reasons), and Brazilian shamans who believe every cell of your body hold all the memories of your life and heal emotional pains through appropriate massage, and all other shades of absurd spiritual hocus pocus. It is very hard for me to take someone seriously who explicitly believes that most things in the world has no rational explanation.
What is really interesting is that her work remains emotionally valid and incredibly powerful in spite of what motivated her, which are so far away from what I learned to be true. It is not just a clash of two belief systems, but the conflict is between unsubstantiated beliefs, and demonstrable assertions that can be rationally justified and verified. This only proves that even though an artist might think of certain conscious reasons for her creation, what actually makes them effective, touching, and powerful is the depth and sensitivity of their subconscious mind.
Now, when I see my next Abramovic, I have to try hard to forget what I have learned through this book. I still believe she is an amazing individual, but terribly confused by strange and absurd ideas about how the universe works.
I should have kept it at that, and I wish I never picked up this book. While I enjoyed to know about her interesting life and experiences, I should have stayed away from knowing what were the things that often inspired her creations. Here is a person who believed that Australian aborigines telepathically spoke to her, and she wanted to use an Indian guru who claimed he could stay underwater for hours (and didn't want to take part in her performance in New York only because his power goes away when he tries to do it for non-religious reasons), and Brazilian shamans who believe every cell of your body hold all the memories of your life and heal emotional pains through appropriate massage, and all other shades of absurd spiritual hocus pocus. It is very hard for me to take someone seriously who explicitly believes that most things in the world has no rational explanation.
What is really interesting is that her work remains emotionally valid and incredibly powerful in spite of what motivated her, which are so far away from what I learned to be true. It is not just a clash of two belief systems, but the conflict is between unsubstantiated beliefs, and demonstrable assertions that can be rationally justified and verified. This only proves that even though an artist might think of certain conscious reasons for her creation, what actually makes them effective, touching, and powerful is the depth and sensitivity of their subconscious mind.
Now, when I see my next Abramovic, I have to try hard to forget what I have learned through this book. I still believe she is an amazing individual, but terribly confused by strange and absurd ideas about how the universe works.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,039 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.