Marina Abramović

It was not easy to decide whether or not to go to the Marina Abramovic's Retrospective at the Kunsthaus Zürich. I had been thinking about it since I saw the art exhibition brochure. I didn't like the performances. I never understood the meaning of a performance. Maybe I had never even thought about it. So I went.

What for? To understand the raison d'être of this kind of art, if it is art.

At the entrance you already were confronted with Marina Abramović's first work, ‘Imponderabilia’, a living entrance. Two naked people were flanking the door. The audience had to go through the door and pass between them. I didn't think of this before, so I just walked and decided to face the lady. The first word I said in a whisper was 'Entschuldigung' and I clasped my hands together and walked through the door as fast as I could. When I wason the other side of the room, I started to cry.

I felt strong emotions. I could feel the energy being released by their bodies. These people let me be in their intimacy and I felt it. I felt so grateful for that trust. I was so close, even closer than I was with the people I see often. I felt the humanity of these people. This first exercise opened all my senses. I was so sensitive that I couldn't stop crying!

I started the discovery of the exhibition with my eyes wide open and with all my senses ready to feel what Marina wanted to tell me or let me discover. I never expected to live such a journey!

Each stage of the visit was intensely powerful! I could feel a surge of energy within me, making me feel more connected to myself and fully present in the moment. I became so absorbed that I lost awareness of everything around me.

I visited the 'Compression Chamber'. It was a funny moment for me and for the person guiding the activity. The person asked me if I had a phone or a watch. I said yes, so he pointed to a locker and asked me to leave the items there. I did so and he handed me a pair of headphones and I took them. I asked him if I had to sit on a bench next to the lockers and he started laughing and pointed across the room and I saw two rows of beach loungers. I laughed too and went there. I put on the headphones and a complete silence enveloped me. I sat there contemplating the trees and the sky feeling my heart and my soul. I relaxed myself completely. I was so calm at a certain point that I decided to continue with this visit.

The next work that I admired was the 'Five Stages of Maya Dance'. This artwork features five alabaster sculptures of Marina Abramović that integrate performance, illumination, and sculpture. These alabaster pieces demonstrate the potential of utilising a translucent material, employing tone as texture to create visual effects for the observer. These wonderful reliefs seemed to be alive.

Through this work, I realised how performance can transform into art. These portraits expressed emotions, and the interaction— whether I followed them or they followed me—established a connection between the artist and the viewer, in this case, me.

At this moment, I understood what Marina aimed to convey and the method she used to do so: her body. She was pushing the physical boundaries of her body to create a connection with the audience. It became an exchange between the artist and the viewers. Her goal was to awaken consciousness and bring attention to the present moment. The viewer’s reaction itself became an integral part of the performance. As she stated: she asks for your time and inreturn, she offers you an experience.

And what a unique experience it was!