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Marina Abramovic Quotes

Powerful Marina Abramovic for Daily Growth

About Marina Abramovic

Marina Abramović (born November 30, 1946) is a Serbian-American visual artist who works primarily in performance art, often exploring themes of the body, endurance, pain, and the limits of human physical and psychological stamina. Known for her provocative and challenging work, Abramović has been hailed as the "grandmother of performance art." Born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia), Abramović studied ballet from a young age but eventually turned to visual arts after witnessing a performance by the American artist Allan Kaprow. In 1976, she formed the duo 'Abramović & Ulay' with her partner and fellow performance artist, Wim Delvoye (Ulay). Together they embarked on a series of endurance pieces, including a seven-month-long walk from France to Malta in 1980, titled "The Great Wall Walk." In 1977, Abramović performed her most famous work, "Rhythm 0," where she placed herself in a gallery space with 72 objects and invited the audience to interact with her and the items. The performance ended abruptly when a knife was used on Abramović, emphasizing the power dynamic between the artist and her audience. In 2010, Abramović gained widespread recognition for her retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, where she sat in silence and engaged in eye contact with visitors for three months as part of "The Artist is Present." The performance was a testament to her enduring influence on contemporary art. Abramović's work continues to push boundaries and challenge conventional notions of art and the artist-audience relationship. Her powerful performances and installations have left an indelible mark on the world of modern and performance art.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Art is born from the unknown."

This quote by Marina Abramović suggests that art emerges from an exploratory journey into the unfamiliar, the enigmatic aspects of existence. It implies that the process of creating art involves delving into areas where one is not certain, unearthing unknown territories, and transforming these discoveries into tangible expressions or experiences. The "unknown" can refer to emotions, ideas, cultural contexts, personal histories, or universal mysteries; when artists tap into this realm, they give birth to art that resonates with audiences on a deeper level.

"I am not an artist. I am a medium."

Marina Abramović views herself as more than just an artist; she considers herself as a medium, or a channel, through which creative energy flows. This perspective suggests that she is less focused on personal authorship and more on facilitating the expression of something greater than herself. In other words, she sees her role not only in creating art, but also in acting as a bridge between ideas, emotions, and the audience.

"Everything that I do is about breaking limits and going into unknown territory."

This quote by Marina Abramović signifies her artistic pursuit and personal philosophy, which centers around exploring new boundaries and venturing into uncharted territories. Her work in performance art often pushes the limits of physical and psychological endurance, challenging societal norms, and redefining what is considered 'art'. This desire to break through conventional limitations and venture into the unknown reflects a deep-seated curiosity and a fearless commitment to innovation and self-discovery.

"The more you give, the more you receive."

The quote "The more you give, the more you receive" by Marina Abramović emphasizes that generosity and selflessness can lead to greater rewards in return. In a broader sense, it suggests that investing time, energy, or resources into others often leads to reciprocation or positive outcomes, not just materially but also emotionally, spiritually, or intellectually. This principle encourages empathy, kindness, and cooperation within society as a whole, fostering a harmonious and prosperous community.

"In art, there is no future or past, only the present moment."

Marina Abramović's quote emphasizes the timeless nature of art, suggesting that it exists solely in the immediate experience of the present. This idea encapsulates the essence of artistic expression as a form of direct engagement between artist and viewer, transcending temporal boundaries. In this sense, every encounter with a piece of art represents a unique, unrepeatable moment where the past and future are immaterial. The quote encourages us to fully immerse ourselves in the present when engaging with art, focusing on its impact and meaning within our own experience.

You know, art is very emotional business. But mostly it becomes not emotional, the fabric of commodity. It becomes business. It becomes so many different things. Because we forgot there was emotions involved.

- Marina Abramovic

Art, Very, Mostly, Commodity

So many artists say they're not aware of audience. For me is unbelievable.

- Marina Abramovic

Audience, Aware, Artists, Unbelievable

In real life, you just work for the ordinary self, but in the front of audience you become the superself. That's a completely different thing.

- Marina Abramovic

Work, Audience, Ordinary, Different Thing

When I was 14, I thought I looked terrible. I wore these typical Slavic shoes with metal bottoms so you could always hear me coming and this really ugly princess skirt and blouse with the top button closed. I had a boy haircut, a baby face covered with pimples, and a really big nose.

- Marina Abramovic

Thought, Big, Had, Pimples

The big problem of our modern society is that we feel that we are separated from the nature. But it's just the opposite. We are interrelated and our DNA is the same. And only when human beings understand that, the nature will not be obstacle.

- Marina Abramovic

Big, Feel, Modern Society, Interrelated

When Lady Gaga says I am her inspiration, you reach kids between 12 and 18. Now I am like a brand - jeans, Coca-Cola.

- Marina Abramovic

Reach, Like, Gaga, None

You know, everyone is always talking about plastic surgery, or the technology, what to do. I really think it's important to help yourself with the technology if you want to feel better, but I am absolutely against any kind of monstrous cuts of the body, lifting that is beyond recognition, this kind of stuff.

- Marina Abramovic

Plastic Surgery, Monstrous, Cuts

The mind is crazy thing. To be focused is the most difficult thing.

- Marina Abramovic

Mind, Focused, Most, Most Difficult Thing

Your ego can become an obstacle to your work. If you start believing in your greatness, it is the death of your creativity.

- Marina Abramovic

Work, Death, Greatness, Start Believing

We are actually living in a million parallel realities every single minute.

- Marina Abramovic

Single, Living, Actually, Parallel

If you're a baker, making bread, you're a baker. If you make the best bread in the world, you're not an artist, but if you bake the bread in the gallery, you're an artist. So the context makes the difference.

- Marina Abramovic

Bread, Artist, Making, Bake

I really don't like art where you need to know so much theory to understand. If the theory is removed, it doesn't do anything. That means that this work is an illustration of theory, and I don't believe in the power of the work itself.

- Marina Abramovic

Art, Like, Means, Illustration

You know, James Franco is one of the most interesting figures because he has no rules. He breaks all the borders.

- Marina Abramovic

Breaks, Borders, Figures, None

I was friends with Susan Sontag the last four years of her life. She had this amazing charisma and so much energy, but she had a sad little funeral in Montparnasse in Paris. It was rainy. It was all wrong. And I was thinking, 'God, she loved life so much.'

- Marina Abramovic

Thinking, Years, Had, Susan

I am obsessive always, even as a child. On one side is this strict orthodox religion, on the other is communism, and I am this little girl pulled between the two. It makes me who I am. It turns me into the kind of person that Freud would have a field day with, for sure.

- Marina Abramovic

Two, Other, Little Girl, Freud

I am not a therapist. I am not a spiritual leader. These elements are in the art: it is therapeutic, spiritual, social and political - everything. It has many layers. But art has to have many layers. If it doesn't, then forget it.

- Marina Abramovic

Art, Leader, Social, Therapeutic

I used to have a recurring dream where I was at a party in a country house, surrounded by the same people each evening. Everyone would be singing and dancing and after a while I came to know the people; though, of course, they never really existed.

- Marina Abramovic

Dancing, Country, Surrounded, Recurring

I'm interested in utopian communities of the past. Many of them didn't survive and I'm examining closely the reasons they failed.

- Marina Abramovic

Survive, Closely, Reasons, Utopian

I had a very difficult relationship with my mother. She used to wake me up in the middle of the night if I wasn't sleeping straight and was messing up the sheets. Now when I stay in hotels I sleep so straight they don't even think I've used the bed.

- Marina Abramovic

Bed, Very, Messing, Sheets

I really think there's no difference between an art piece made by a man and one made by a woman. Is it a good art piece or a bad art piece? Of course, if you're female, you're maybe dealing with different issues.

- Marina Abramovic

Art, Woman, Think, Good Art

I am very clear that I am not a feminist. It puts you into a category and I don't like that.

- Marina Abramovic

I Am, Very, Puts, Category

Every party is the same, too many people, too little food, and you have to wait around. I'm extremely bored with parties.

- Marina Abramovic

People, Wait, Many, Too Many People

I hate kitchens. I don't understand these enormous American kitchens that take up half the living room and then they just order pizza.

- Marina Abramovic

Living, Understand, Half, Kitchens

If you see a Renaissance body, this is completely ugly in this time. Everybody has to be skinny. But the Renaissance body with incredible flow of the meat everywhere, it was beauty.

- Marina Abramovic

Beauty, Ugly, Everybody, Flow

My grandmother, when she looked at American movies, she said, 'They're all the same. In the first scene somebody shoots somebody and then everybody makes phone calls.'

- Marina Abramovic

Phone Calls, Everybody, Shoots

I think 21st century should be art without objects.

- Marina Abramovic

Art, Think, Century, 21st Century

My mother and father had a terrible marriage. They celebrated their wedding anniversary one year with their friends. Why did they celebrate? Maybe because they had lasted so many years without killing each other.

- Marina Abramovic

Other, Mother And Father, Celebrated

Woody Allen has a wonderful line: 'Today I'm a star. What will I be tomorrow? A black hole?' That's very important to know - that you have the moment, then you lose the moment. You have to see your chances, you have to take them, and you also have to see when you don't have chances to take.

- Marina Abramovic

Line, Very, Allen, Woody

To control the breathing is to control the mind. With different patterns of breathing, you can fall in love, you can hate someone, you can feel the whole spectrum of feelings just by changing your breathing.

- Marina Abramovic

Love, Mind, Breathing, Feelings

From the very early stage when I started doing performance art in the '70s, the general attitude - not just me, but also my colleagues - was that there should not be any documentation, that the performance itself is artwork and there should be no documentation.

- Marina Abramovic

Art, Doing, Very, Documentation

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