WHE N MARINA

ABRAMOVI

DI ES

A Biography

James Westcott

The MIT Press

Cambridge, Massachusetts
London, England

 2010 Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Westcott, James, 1979
When Marina Abramovi dies : a biography /James
Westcott.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn 978 0 262 23262 3 (hardcover : alk. paper)
1. Abramovi, Marina. 2. Performance artistsSerbia
Biography. I. Title.
N7253.A25W47 2010
709.040755 dc22
[B]

2009019821
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

INDEX
Boldface page numbers refer to images. Headings in italics refer to Abramovis
(and Ulay / Abramovis) works.
Anderson, Laurie, 117, 121, 147, 148, 150,
AAA-AAA, 137, 138
304
Aboriginals, 157159, 162163, 173, 175
Anima Mundi, 175, 178
178, 181, 217, 218, 243
Arrow in the Heart, An, 219221, 220
Abramovi, Danica, 911, 10, 13, 14, 20,
Art Must Be Beautiful, Artist Must Be
2123, 22, 25, 2932, 35, 38, 41,
Beautiful, 9598, 95, 104, 106, 135,
45, 47, 49, 52, 64, 100, 133, 174,
140, 243, 263
234235, 256, 257, 271
cultivation of Marinas artistic interest, Art Vital manifesto, 109, 115, 132133,
135, 145, 148, 212, 231
24, 27, 53, 55, 218
Atlas, Charles, 229, 253
death of, 306, 307308
Biography, 227, 232
and hygiene, 15
and Marinas performances, 67, 7273, Delusional, 237238
SSS, 215, 217
77, 135, 158
meets Vojo, 17, 1920
visit to Belgrade, 234235
and Tito, 46
Abramovi, Ivana, ix, 267, 269
Balance Proof, 131, 132
Abramovi, Velimir, ix, xi, 15, 16, 21, 22,
Balkan Baroque, 257, 258, 259, 262
23, 28, 29, 30, 43, 64, 108, 121, 133, film, 270271
196, 235, 266, 289, 305
Balkan Erotic Epic, 299301, 300, 304
in Amsterdam during nato bombing
Balkan wars (1990s), 234235, 255257
of Belgrade, 267
beauty, 40, 63, 9596, 127, 140, 176, 203,
critique of Marina, 211, 229, 232, 298
214, 224, 229, 234, 276
and Danicas death, 307
Beuys, Joseph, 41, 6263, 66, 67, 82, 121,
feud with Marina, 269, 271
143, 213, 247, 263
filming Marina destroying Sound
in Seven Easy Pieces, 291292, 295
Environment White, 57, 58
Biesenbach, Klaus, 227, 267, 269, 275, 307
on parents meeting, 1920
Binenkant, Amsterdam, 197, 209, 219,
poetry and public life, 33
220, 225, 239241, 240, 253, 261,
reclaims Marinas paintings, 267
267, 268, 270, 275, 309
and Vojos death, 265, 272
Blavatsky, Madame, 41, 116
Abramovi, Vojin (Vojo), 10, 12, 13, 14,
Blaevi, Dunja, 49, 50, 53, 57, 97, 98
18, 20, 21, 27, 2931, 35, 36, 47, 64, and Drangularium, 51
133, 249, 252, 257, 265, 266, 267,
encourages Abramovi to perform, 63
307308
phone calls from Danica, 72
Belgrade in 1994, 234237
bleeding, 16, 19, 23, 25, 82, 143, 311n7
death of, 271272
Bloom, Barbara, 145, 180
meets Danica, 1719
Bodhgaya, India, 172173, 197
and 1968 student protests, 3638
Brand, Jan, 140142
Acconci, Vito, 72, 73, 117, 155, 291,
Breathing In / Breathing Out, 119, 120,
292293
121, 132

INDEX

323

 plane crash, 180, 273

and Ulay, 92, 103104, 113, 116
Death
of Danica Abramovi, 307
of Vojo Abramovi, 271
of Alba, 225
confrontation of, xiii, 45, 71, 73, 151,
154, 169, 200, 223225, 243, 301,
309
of DArmagnac, 142143
Cage, John, 59, 147, 149150, 189, 241
and de Appel, 180
Canevari, Paolo, ix, 259, 260, 275, 276,
fear of, 16, 248249
282, 286, 296, 306
in Fototot, 103
in Amsterdam, 267269, 268
of Hildegard Laysiepen, 173174, 186
marries Abramovi, 301, 302
of Matta-Clark, 141
moves to New York, 273
refusal to participate in workshops, 270 parents attitudes toward, 235, 237
of Pejatovi-Rosi, 15
at Venice Biennale, 2007, 304305
protection from, 162
Carr, Cindy, 189
on Great Wall of China, 199, 202203, of Aleksa Rosi, 11
of Uro Rosi, 11
210
of Patriarch Varnava, 11
Celant, Germano, 256257
Delgado, Paco, 209210, 213, 219, 221,
Charged Space, 140141, 146
224225, 229, 273
City of Angels, 175, 178, 183, 189
Delusional, 235238, 236, 247248, 257
Cleaning the House, 247, 257
Demarco, Richard, 59, 6263, 77, 79, 231
workshop, 282285, 284
Denegri, Jea, 41, 51, 56, 97
Cleaning the Mirror I, II, and III, 242, 243
deserts, 217
Clemente, Francesco, 65
Gobi, 181, 199202, 210
Come Wash with Me, 42
Great Victorian, Australia, 157166,
communism, 11, 2021, 35, 37, 69, 82,
160, 161, 169, 175, 199, 205
116, 150, 151, 193, 202203
Thar, India, 173
Communist Body / Fascist Body, 146, 203
Dimitrijevi, Braco, 73
Coulibeuf, Pierre, 270271
Documenta, 122, 171, 227
Count on Us, 289, 290
Dragon Heads, 216, 217, 231, 241, 245
ukovi, Petar, 254
Drangularium, 50, 51, 53, 55
cutting, 72, 82, 91, 94, 97, 295
Dream House, 267
Dalai Lama, 162, 173, 232, 265, 305
Elliott, David, 219, 227, 241, 246, 249, 253
DArmagnac, Ben, 116117, 121, 140,
Escape, 249, 250
142143, 183
Expansion in Space, 122123, 124
Deak, Edit, 140
export, Valie, 73, 83, 183, 291, 293, 294
de Appel Gallery, ix, 97, 263
and Abramovi, 85, 9394, 100, 104,
fasting, 166169, 173, 186, 189190, 239,
106, 234
275, 283285, 284
and Abramovi / Ulay, 115, 117118,
feminism, 79, 9697, 104, 129
143, 145, 146, 178180
Breathing Out / Breathing In, 132, 135
Brooklyn Museum, 140, 142, 146, 179
Buddhism, 104, 113, 116, 141, 165, 191,
197, 203, 205, 265, 305
Tibetan, 180, 264
Zen, 41, 151, 263
Burden, Chris, 72, 102, 117118, 121, 147,
149150, 155, 168, 291

324

INDEX

Franoise-Piso, Paula, 89, 9192, 105, 174

Freeing the Body, 111, 111, 113
Freeing the Horizon, 53
Freeing the Memory, 100
Freeing the Voice, 99, 104, 137, 313n14
funerals, 64, 141, 146
of Danica Abramovi, 306, 308
of Marina Abramovi, plans for, xiii,
304
of Vojo Abramovi, 272
of Ili, 48
of Hildegard Laysiepen, 174
of Milica Rosi, 271
of Tito, 151
of Patriarch Varnava, 11
Gilbert & George, 73, 91, 183
Goldberg, RoseLee, 64, 118, 239
Gorgona, 40, 41, 47
Gotovac, Tomislav, 42, 64, 146, 150
Showing Elle Magazine and other
works, 43, 56, 62
Graevenitz, Antje von, 94, 146
Great Wall: Lovers at the Brink, The, 209
212, 215, 217
Grigor, Murray, ix, 209211, 215, 217
Grootheest, Tijmen van, 209
Nightsea Crossing Conjunction, 176
177
producing The Lovers, 181182, 193
group of six, 3942, 45, 47, 49, 5659,
6364
Groznjan, Croatia, 5253, 103, 121, 135,
157, 197
Guide Chinois, Le, 205

Hsieh, Tehching, 182183, 247

Hudson, New York, theater, 309
Iles, Chrissie, ix, 239, 240, 275, 289
Abramovis fiftieth birthday, 254
Abramovis sixtieth birthday, 304
curating Abramovi, 217, 241, 243
Ili, Srebrenka, 48, 50
Image of Happiness, 248249
Imponderabilia, 120, 121, 140, 144, 149
In Between, 249
Incision, 137, 139, 140, 144, 146
Installation One, 146
Installation Two, 146
Interruption in Space, 113, 115, 122
Jagger, Bianca (Bianca Prez-Mora
Macas), 88, 91
Jonas, Joan, 65, 73, 147, 149, 155

Kaiserschnitt, 137
Kaprow, Allan, 72, 73
Kelly, Sean, ix, x, 4, 234, 239, 245, 246,
247, 269, 273, 275, 275, 276, 281.
See also Sean Kelly Gallery
brokers contract with Ulay, 261262
meets Abramovi, 233
and Venice, 255259
Klauke, Jrgen, 86, 87, 9193, 129, 174
Klein, Michael, ix, 179, 182, 187, 197, 209,
233
organizes Polaroid exhibitions, 193
Klein, Yves, 41, 42, 43, 55
Koenig, Christine, 114, 115, 117, 123, 145,
155, 177
and Abramovis cloud, 119
Hegedui, Krsto, 4748
tells Abramovi about Ulays lover, 187
Heiss, Alanna, 219, 227
tells Abramovi about Ulays son, 194
Hero, The, 272, 283
Kounellis, Jannis, 73
Herzog, Werner, 113, 210, 221
Kowalke, Hartmund, ix, 125, 126, 127,
Hoet, Jan, 253, 301
146
Horn, Rebecca, 73, 221, 226, 227, 233, 238 Krinzinger, Ursula, 79, 82, 97, 117, 129,
House with the Ocean View, The, 15, 275,
137
278, 280, 285, 287, 292, 297, 305
KwieKulik, 183
How to Die, 223224

INDEX

325

Laub, Michael, 145, 151, 175, 179, 230,

241, 271, 288
Biography Remix, 289
Laysiepen, Hildegard, 86, 173174, 186
Laysiepen, Uwe. See Ulay
Laysiepen, Wilhelm, 86
Light / Dark, 129, 129, 137
Lipschutz-Villa, Eduardo, 209210
Lovers, The, 3, 199206, 204, 206, 215,
218
Lwensteyn, Henny, 8788, 108, 194
Lwensteyn, Jurriaan, 87, 194196, 288,
289
Lubbers, Frank, 176, 178, 181182, 197
198, 210
Luther, 172
Makedonska street, Belgrade, 9, 15, 26, 31,
43, 52, 65, 119, 133, 239
Marioni, Tom, 63, 147
Martin, Jean-Hubert, 218
McEvilley, Thomas, 4, 178179, 182, 186
and Great Wall of China, 199203,
210211, 215, 229, 315n68
Mignot, Dorine, 171, 215
Milivojevi, Era, 39, 47, 50, 52, 54, 59, 64
tapes up Abramovi, 5556
Miro, Victoria, 213215, 225, 241, 246
Modus Vivendi, 188, 191193, 192
Mond, der Sonne, Die, 196, 215
Museum of Modern Art Oxford, 217, 239,
241244, 244, 246, 316n9
nato bombing of Belgrade (1999), 265,
267, 273, 304
Nauman, Bruce, 57, 113, 291, 292
Navarra, Enrico, 221, 223
New Art Practice, 56, 301
Nightsea Crossing, 2, 178, 180, 182, 185,
196, 205, 259, 283
and abstinence, 186
first performances, 165169, 167
last performance, 193194
in New York, 189190
Nightsea Crossing Conjunction, 176

326

178, 177, 181, 212, 218

strain, 171173
Nitsch, Hermann, 72, 78, 79, 82, 129
November 30th, 9, 85, 94, 105, 116, 132,
241, 304
numerology, 116117, 273
Obrist, Hans Ulrich, 263
oho, 4041, 51, 62
Oliver, Cordelia, 79
Onion, The, 247248, 248
Orthodox Church, Serbian, 8, 1011, 13,
82, 231, 257
Paik, Nam June, 59, 73, 121
pain, 231232, 245, 309
in life, 180, 196, 206, 209, 211, 261, 271
migraines, 2526, 159
parental examples, 17, 25, 235, 265, 307
in performances, 62, 67, 72, 73, 89, 96,
100, 105108, 118, 123, 166169,
171173, 182
painting, 21, 24, 2627, 29, 3335, 34,
3840, 53, 57, 6264, 73, 87, 191,
231, 283
cloud paintings, 40, 42, 44, 45, 48, 51
and group of six, 41, 55
Informel, 27, 29, 43, 47
reclaiming paintings from Vojo, 265
267
truck accidents, 33, 40
Palestine, Charlemagne, 65, 121
Pane, Gina, 72, 97, 117118, 121
in Seven Easy Pieces, 291, 293
Paripovi, Nea, 53, 6364, 79, 97, 100,
103, 105, 119, 273
and group of six, 39, 47, 50, 56
marries Abramovi, 4748, 47, 52
partisans, 17, 19, 21, 234, 256
Pejatovi-Rosi, Krsmana, 15
Peji, Bojana, 49, 56, 121
Peppler, Willem, 262263
Peterson, Ad, 77, 118, 125, 146
Polaroid works, 73, 76, 191196, 192, 205,
210, 213

INDEX

Politi, Giancarlo, 71
Ponape, 147151, 162, 224
Popovi, Zoran, 3940, 50, 51, 53, 5556,
62, 63, 9798, 99
Positive Zero, 178179

Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, 77, 118,

132, 146, 171, 176, 181, 193, 195,
199, 209, 215, 267
Stefanowski, Michael, ix, 224225, 240,
241, 253, 260, 269
Steir, Pat, 101, 147, 149, 179, 189190,
196, 197, 210
Stromboli, 275, 276
Student Cultural Center (Studentski
Kulturni Centar, skc), 38, 39,
4959, 54, 55, 58, 65, 66, 68, 7273,
9799, 117, 120, 121, 234
April Meeting, 67, 69, 99, 119, 147
Kino beleke, 9798
uvakovi, Miko, ix
symbiosis, 119, 132, 174, 183, 188

Rakoevi, Goran, 255256

Relation in Movement, 125, 126
Relation in Space, 101, 102, 113, 149, 157,
199, 291
Relation in Time, 127, 137
reperformance, 263, 271, 287297, 288,
290, 294, 296, 299
Rest Energy, 151, 153, 154, 288, 289
Rhythm 5, 2, 6769, 68, 71, 82, 289
Rhythm 4, 70, 71, 96, 98
Rhythm 10, 60, 62, 65, 79, 96, 231, 234
tableaux vivants, 171, 175, 178, 254
Rhythm 2, 69, 71, 107, 213
Talking About Similarity, 105, 108109,
Rhythm 0, 2, 73, 7475, 77, 96, 104105,
115, 132
246, 249, 295
teaching, 65, 73, 85, 116, 187188, 225,
Role Exchange, 104, 106, 116, 213, 234,
263, 282, 305
313n16
Television Is a Machine, 64
Rooney, Declan, 305306
Terminal Garden, 189
Rosi, Aleksa, 8, 11
Terra degli Dea Madre, 183, 189
Rosi, Ksenija, ix, x, 10, 14, 16, 1920
Rosi, Petar (Patriarch Varnava), 8, 1011, that self, 148, 151, 154, 191, 212
theater, 4, 20, 26, 3031, 49, 53, 56, 79,
13, 20, 235
235, 309
Rosi, Tatjana, 73, 195
and Abramovi / Ulay performances,
Rosi, Uro, 8, 10, 15
123, 135, 163, 171, 178179, 188
Russian roulette, 29, 45, 62, 92
and Abramovi performances, 227,
232, 236, 237, 271, 297
Sarmento, Julio, 224, 233, 241, 259
Belgrade International Theater Festival,
Schmitt-Zell, Uschi, 86, 92, 111, 173, 174
42
Sean Kelly Gallery, ix, x, 275, 280, 287,
Thomas Lips, 80, 81, 82, 96, 129, 234, 237,
301. See also Kelly, Sean
246
seduction, 45, 47, 99, 187, 189, 219, 223,
227, 232, 239, 241, 253, 269, 311n7 the man, 79
Seven Easy Pieces, 289, 291292, 294, 295, reperformance at de Appel, 85, 94, 98,
135
297298, 299, 301, 305
Smals, Wies, 85, 9294, 115, 117, 137, 143, reperformance in The Biography, 231
reperformance in Seven Easy Pieces,
146
295297, 296, 299
death of, 180
Three, 143144
sound works, 55, 57, 71, 99, 104
Three Secrets, 33, 191
Sound Ambient WhiteVideo, 59
Tito, Josip Broz, 9, 10, 11, 17, 29, 35, 39,
Sound Environment White, 53, 58, 59

INDEX

327

40, 45, 46, 49, 56, 67, 150, 255

and Danica Abramovi, 45, 46
and Vojo Abramovi, 10, 19, 20, 21, 35,
234
Cominform period, 13
comparison with Abramovi, 305
death of, 151
and 1968 student protests, 37, 38, 49
Titoism, 21, 35, 56, 97, 116
Todosijevi, Raa, 39, 40, 50, 51, 56, 62,
63, 67, 69
Tomi, Biljana, 51, 53, 56, 71
Toyne, Phillip, 157158, 162
transitory objects, 212215, 218, 225, 227,
231232, 245246, 257, 275
Black Dragon, 214, 225
God Punishing, 244, 245
Green Dragon, 208, 213, 225
Inner Sky, 227, 228
mining minerals and crystals in Brazil,
221224, 222, 223
Red Dragon, 213, 255
White Dragon, 213, 225
Tuesday / Saturday, 193
Tuyl, Gus van, 116, 125, 146

Uhlig, Doreen, 285

Ulay (Uwe Laysiepen)
Auto-Polaroids, 84, 89, 90, 9192
early collaborations, 8789, 9192, 129,
174
Exchange of Identity, 93
family, 8687, 143, 173174, 174, 180,
186, 194, 203
Fototot, 94
Fototot I, 103104
Fototot II, 104
and Franoise-Piso, 89, 9192, 105,
174
and Bianca Jagger, 88, 91
and Klauke, 8687, 9193, 129, 174
and Henny Lwensteyn, 8788, 108,
194
and Jurriaan Lwensteyn, 194195
meets Abramovi, 85, 94

328

The Metamorphose of a Canal House, 89

and Polaroid, 8593, 151, 159
and Schmitt-Zell, 86, 92, 111, 173, 174
Seriaal Gallery, 92, 93, 180
There Is a Criminal Touch to Art, 112
113
Urkom, Gera, 3941, 45, 47, 50, 5153,
5557, 62, 63
rescues Abramovi from fire in Rhythm
5, 67
van, Citron HY, 109111, 110, 112113,
115, 121, 123, 125127, 126, 129,
132133, 134, 137, 143, 145, 155,
157, 164, 171, 173
Venice Biennale, 24, 39
1976, 100103, 103, 143, 199
1993, 271
1997, 254260, 258, 261, 262, 301
1999, 289
2007, 304305
Warm / Cold, 77, 79, 94, 125
Wijers, Louwrien, 116117, 123, 135, 141,
142143, 146
Wilke, Hannah, 140
Winters, Robin, 117, 187188
Witnessing, 169, 171, 178
Workrelation, 142143
Yesiltac, Viola, 288, 289
Zagreb, 27, 31, 49
Abramovis post-diploma, 4748,
5152, 57
Gotovac and, 4243, 56
Museum of Contemporary Art, ix, 69,
127
Zoutkeetsgracht, Amsterdam, 145146,
147, 151, 157, 171, 177, 179

INDEX