On the evening of May 29, 2020, the 2020 Art Management Forum of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University drew to a close with a lecture. This forum was planned by Zhang Rui, associate professor of the Academy of Arts & Design. At the closing lecture, famous artist Mary Marina Abramovic shared her views around the theme "Artists Online - Ignite Hope".
The lecture was chaired by Zhang Rui. Chen Anying, professor at the Department of Arts & History of the Academy of Arts & Design joined the lecture as a commentator. Abramovic and Eric Shiner, a well-known curator, engaged in a dialogue that lasted an hour and a half and shared their views on how artists responded to current social phenomena and how they, as artists, can drive changes for a better future. The lecture attracted more than 300,000 people, including teachers and students from art schools across the world, art industry practitioners, art aficionados, and enthusiasts, and managers of commercial institutions.
Abramovic was born in Belgrade and started her career in Belgrade. Exploring the physical and mental limits of her being, she has withstood pain, exhaustion, and danger in the quest for emotional and spiritual transformation. She is a pioneering artist specializing in performance art. Collectivism, religion, and Eastern philosophies that she was acquainted with when she was growing up and the collision of different cultures have profoundly influenced Abramovic's artistic taste. She did not see herself as a "star" with a halo which is how pop artists often see themselves. Instead, she is on the other side of the spectrum, emphasizing self-sacrifice and collective strength.
Rhythm 0 (1974)
"Energy" is her first keyword in the lecture. In the process of creation, she feels and collects energy from nature, dreams, religion, and ancient people. For example, in the lecture, she mentioned the desert, observation of plant growth in the garden during the pandemic, birds looking for butterflies, and dialogue with flowers and vegetables. She considers her own body as the medium for energy gathering and perceives the existence of energy through meditation and mind-emptiness. Avant-garde performance artists often make suffering the theme of their creation. According to Abramovic, nothing comes out of happiness and it is pain, suffering and obstacles that affect our transformation, make us better and stronger, and make us realize the importance of living in the moment.
Coincidentally, at 8 p.m. Beijing time or 2 p.m. Slovenia time on May 29, 2020, when Abramovic, who was in New York, talked about her artwork The Lovers - The Great Wall (1988 ), the funeral of another artist who participated in the project Ulay, who was also a friend, lover, and art partner of Abramovic, was taking place thousands of miles away.
Rest Energy (1980), by Marina Abramovic and Ulay
Abramovic and Ulay, born on the same day, met in 1975 and had a 12-year romantic and artistic partnership. They worked together on many performance art projects. They conjured up the idea of completing a project on the Great Wall of China when traveling in a desert in Australia. It took them about eight years from conjuring up the idea to getting permissions from the Chinese government. During the eight years, the relationship between the two changed, but they did not give up on the project. In 1988, they each walked the Great Wall, starting from the opposite ends. After crossing more than 2,000km individually, they met and said goodbye. Abramovic said that it was not a happy ending, but happiness is never what she wants to express. In 2010, she and Ulay met again at the New York museum MoMa where Abramovic's solo exhibition "The Artist Is Present" was hosted. On March 2, 2020, Ulay passed away. On May 29, unable to attend Ulay's funeral due to the pandemic, Abramovic bid farewell to Ulay, ending the half a century long "performance" by the duo, in front of hundreds of thousands of viewers. Abramovic's works are full of energy because the unique way she interprets life.
Abramovic believes that good art is personal, but unlike self-centered artists in the pre-commercial era, she focuses more on personal charisma formed by talent, willpower, and courage to overcome psychological limits. Controlling the space and transferring energy is what the second key word of her lecture "unconditional love" is all about.
Abramovic said that people can love their family members unconditionally, but it is difficult to love enemies, humans, animals and the planet selflessly. Everything in the world could be the source of Abramovic's energy or the object of her love. She defines herself as "servant", "mirror", "tool", and "public server" of art, emphasizing humility, kindness, and social responsibility of artists. She believes that people who possess special talent in art should contribute to the society selflessly by expressing and conveying their artistic ideas. In the face of the pandemic, she also expressed her view that artists should not be infatuated with time itself, but should create works of universal value. Although a star artist herself in the era of business and pop culture, Abramovic still believes that artists should not become idols of their own. Art should be created with sincerity instead of the desire for money. A work of art has many lives, which is why artists insist that the world of art and business should be set apart.
The Artist Is Present (2010)
The Life (2019)
Her advice to young artists is: "Don't say that I want to be an artist, but that I am an artist." The younger generation needs to find a way for themselves, not blindly following trends. Only with all their heart and soul can artists create great works. Performance artists should not limit their sources of inspiration to daily life. To create revolutionary artworks, they must see the big picture, have clear ideas, be skeptical, and stay focused. In the context of contemporary art ecosystem, various platforms and institutions such as biennial exhibitions and art fairs have provided good opportunities for young artists to gain recognition in the industry.
7 Deaths of Maria Callas, will be staged soon
After the dialogue, Chen Anying, professor at the Department of Arts & History of the Academy of Arts & Design, commented on the lecture in conjunction with the development of Chinese society and contemporary art since the 1980s. He concluded: "Performances created by Abramovic have become an important part of the world's art history and Abramovic herself has become a role model in the eye of many young artists. Today, she shared her views on art and life, and her experience in art creation. We saw her open attitude to the world and adventurous personality. I believe she will inspire many young artists in China."
In the Q&A session, Abramovic answered questions about dress color, daily life, gender, and death and other subjects and showed the audience another side of her.
Virtual meeting
The Art Management Forum of the Academy of Arts & Design is held each year starting from 2019. The theme of the 2019 Art Management Forum is "Re-Connection", and the theme of this year's forum is "Re-configuration", focusing on fusion of new art formats and trends in the art industry.
Source: Zhang Rui, Associated Professor of Department of Art History
Editor: Zhao Ruohan
