June 9, 2014 |
MARINA ABRAMOVIC: ‘512 HOURS’ AT THE BARBICAN
“There is nothing, just white walls,” began Marina Abramovic, standing inside the Serpentine Gallery where she will be spending the next three months as part of her latest work of performance art 512 Hours. This morning Abramovic offered the press a preview of her performance, inviting (well, instructing us really) to leave our things at the doors and join her in ‘being present’. This included (shock horror) parting company with our smart phones – a hard stretch for this social media coordinator addict. In silence, she randomly selected members of the press, took them by the hand, led them to a space of wall and left them there staring at it. For the public, she said, are her material and the whole performance centres around the energy between the public and the artist. “Art is about energy,” she explained, “And energy is invisible and immaterial.” She criticised the commoditisation of art, saying that when art costs millions of pounds, you don’t see art anymore, you see money. Her performance however cannot be commoditised, only experienced (fuck you, capitalism!). The exhibition opens this Wednesday and is free of charge. It’s an amazing opportunity to participate in a historic work of performance art.
By Ted Stansfield
