Marina Abramović (Serbian Cyrillic: Марина Абрамовић; born 30 November 1946) is a Yugoslav-born Serbian performance artist and art filmmaker whose work centers on the body, endurance, and the dynamics between performer and audience. She was born in Belgrade, in what is today Serbia, and is based in New York City. The artist has sometimes described herself as the "grandmother of performance art". Serbian Cyrillic
Artistic practice
Abramović first gained attention in the early 1970s for durational performances that used her own body as the primary medium. Her projects frequently test physical and mental limits, invite direct participation from audiences, and address themes associated with gender and pain. Early notable works include long, sometimes dangerous, pieces in which she submitted herself to the actions of spectators or maintained difficult postures and conditions for extended periods.
Key works and major exhibitions
Over decades, Abramović has produced a range of pieces from small gallery actions to large institutional retrospectives. Her 1974 piece "Rhythm 0" is often cited for its extreme experiment in audience interaction; in 2010 she presented a high-profile museum retrospective that reached a wide public and renewed international attention to her practice. She also makes films and installations that document or extend her performances.
Collaboration with Ulay
From the mid-1970s until 1988 Abramović worked closely with the artist known as Ulay. During those years they created collaborative performances that explored intimacy, trust, and confrontation. Their artistic and personal partnership ended with a well-known final action in 1988, after which both continued separate careers.
Later activity and influence
Abramović has been influential in bringing live performance into museum contexts and in shaping contemporary ideas about endurance and relational art. She has organized projects, participated in exhibitions worldwide, and remains an active figure in contemporary art. She continues to live and work in New York City, maintaining a public profile through performances, talks, and curatorial initiatives.