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Marina Abramovic and Ulay: Love as a performance art

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Marina Abramovic and Ulay: Love as a performance art

Photo credit: Marina Abramovic

Text: Anna Mar

February 16 2023

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Photo credit: Marina Abramovic

Text: Anna Mar

February 16 2023

 

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Marina Abramovic and Ulay were born on the same day, only three years apart. These two great conceptual artists were united not only by one birthday for two. They were united by love. For many years, the public has witnessed this love through their performances. Marina and Ulay’s relationship has always been based on creativity together. Today we take a look at some of their most famous performances

Relation in Space, 1976

One of the first performances Ulay and Marina presented at the Venice Biennale in 1976. It was called “Relation in Space”. The idea of this performance was two naked bodies running and hitting each other frontally and increasing the speed for one hour. They wanted male and female energy put together and create something new.

Light/Dark, 1977

During the twenty-minute performance, Ulay and Abramovic face each other in a kneeling position, and take turns to slap each other hard in the face. In the beginning, they slap each other quietly, but after each slap, the pace increases. Ulay turns his cheek towards Abramovic when she swipes at him whereas Abramovic turns her face away. The performance ends when she ducks her head, evading the next slap. ‘Light / Dark’ reflects on the relationship between man and woman.

Breathing In / Breathing Out (Death Itself), 1977

“Death Itself” is a mesmerising performance which best illustrates human relationships. In it, they inhaled each other’s exhalations until they ran out of oxygen. After seventeen minutes, both fell unconscious because their lungs were full of carbon dioxide. The performance symbolised the ability to absorb the other’s life, changing and destroying it.

Rest Energy, 1980

In 1980, the pair of conceptual artists created a performance, Rest Energy, in which Abramovic held a bow and Ulay held a taut bow of an arrow aimed straight at her heart.

The concentration was immense – any misstep could have cost lives. The work lasted four minutes and twenty seconds and symbolised boundless trust between the partners.

The Lovers, The Great Wall Walk, 1988

Abramovic and Ulay’s relationship lasted for twelve years and the affair ended with the incredibly complexly organised and executed performance “Lovers”.

They decided to walk the Great Wall of China. Marina started from the eastern, ‘female’ side, Bohus Bay in the Yellow Sea, and Ulai from the ‘ a pass in the Gobi Desert. The original plan was for the artists to marry after their meeting. But over the eight years of complicated paperwork with the Chinese embassy, Ulai and Abramovich’s relationship began to fray. Claims and quarrels accumulated over 12 years of living together were destroying their union. However, they have not given up on their idea.

They had passed the arduous journey, 2,500 kilometres in three months, only to finally meet and part ways. Before saying goodbye, Ulay admitted that the interpreter who was accompanying him was pregnant with his child. Abramovich did not hesitate to advise him to get married.

After the break-up, she delved deeper into her work. She turned her pain into art.

The Artist is Present, 2010

They did not meet again with Ulay until 2010, 22 years after they had parted ways.

Marina Abramovic made an extended performance called, “The Artist is Present” at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. The idea was that the artist looked silently into the eyes of her viewers, each of whom could sit opposite her, every day for several months. The only condition was that they could not talk or touch her. One of the visitors was Ulay.

After seconds of silent tears, they held out their hands to each other. Marina for the first time in her life, disregarding the rules of performance art.

The performance brought them together again, but it was no longer a collaboration. Ulay was present in it as a spectator, which he has been for the last few years.

The love story between the two artists did not end well – a couple of years later, Ulay sued his former lover and demanded that she pay royalties for the use of their joint work.

They finally reconciled only in 2017, 30 years after the break-up, at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. In 2020 Ulay died.

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