Marina Abramović Art Pieces You Should Know

Marina Abramović‘s art evokes strong reactions—love it or hate it, her work demands attention. Often referred to as the “grandmother of performance art,” Abramović has pushed the boundaries of contemporary art, not just within performance art but across the entire spectrum of the art world. Her life, performances, body art, controversial experiments, and celebrity status all contribute to a larger narrative that could be considered one grand piece of art, curated by Abramović herself.

Attempting to categorize Marina Abramović’s work into traditional “art pieces” presents a challenge. What constitutes a piece in her art? Are photographs of her performances enough? These questions highlight the complexities of performance and conceptual art and their relationship to commercialization and collection. While many of Abramović’s most renowned works were created in collaboration with Ulay, her former partner, their strained relationship today complicates the presentation of her solo works. Nevertheless, it’s essential to acknowledge the significant contributions Ulay made to Abramovic’s oeuvre.

In this article, we aim to explore the connection between Abramović’s important works and the art market, particularly through auction sales. While some of her most iconic performances, such as The Artist is Present and 512 Hours, may not be available for purchase in the form of photographs or prints, there are still notable pieces from her repertoire that have made their way to auction houses.

Scroll down to discover some of Marina Abramović’s most renowned works and their presence in the art market.

Carrying the Skeleton

The performance art piece Carrying the Skeleton is a continuation of the artist’s exploration of mortality and the human condition. In this performance, Abramović carries a replica skeleton, symbolizing the weight and inevitability of death, as well as the burden of confronting mortality. The piece is deeply rooted in Abramovic’s interest in spirituality, existentialism, and the fear of death. Confronting the skeleton with both fear and acceptance, the artist invites viewers to contemplate their own mortality and the transient nature of life. “The work is really about facing your own mortality,” the artist once explained. “It’s something that in our life we fear the most. It is about fear of pain and fear of dying.”

The chromogenic print of the performance was sold for $108,000 at Christie’s Paris in 2014.

The Hero

The performance The Hero is deeply personal and reflective of Abramović’s complex relationship with her father, Vojin Abramović, who was a Yugoslav partisan during the Second World War. In this piece, Abramović confronts themes of power, control, and vulnerability, drawing on her own experiences with authority figures, including her father. The artist once explained:

After my father’s death, I decided to make this work. I am sitting motionless on the white horse with a white flag blowing in the wind. I stay there for an indefinite time. The female voice is singing, from her memory, the Yugoslavian national anthem from the time of Tito. The video image is black and white because I wanted to emphasize the past and memory.

The color coupler print of the performance was sold for $24,500 in 2013.

Marina Abramovic, The Hero

Rhythm 5

A groundbreaking performance art piece created by Marina Abramović in 1974, Rhythm 5 is regarded as one of the artist’s most iconic works, demonstrating her willingness to confront fear and vulnerability in the pursuit of artistic expression. In this performance, Abramović lies in the center of a large wooden star, which is set on fire. As the flames consume the star, she remains inside, symbolizing a rebirth or transformation through the process of destruction. Deeply symbolic, the piece reflects Abramovic’s interest in ritual, spirituality, and the human condition. It explores themes of life, death, and the cyclical nature of existence. When she first performed the piece, the artist almost suffocated.

“Lying down, I fail to notice that the flames have used up all the oxygen,” the artist explained. “I lose consciousness. The viewers do not notice, because I am supine. When a flame touches my leg and I still show no reaction, two viewers come into the star and carry me out. I was very angry because I understood there is a physical limit: when you lose consciousness, you can’t be present; you can’t perform.”

The bromoil gelatin silver print of the performance was sold for $20,000 at Sotheby’s New York in 2010. 

Relation in Space

Relation in Space is a performance piece by Marina Abramovic and Ulay, conducted in 1976. During this performance, the artists repeatedly run into each other for an hour, blending male and female energies to create a third component known as “that self.” Approaching from opposite sides of the space, Abramovic and Ulay collide in the center and then vanish from view. At times, they may not reappear for up to twenty seconds before the cycle repeats. Initially, the contact between them is gentle, resembling accidental touches, but as they continue, their movements escalate from walking to running, intensifying the impact of their collision.

The bromoil gelatin silver print of the performance was sold for $51,300 at Christie’s London.

Marina Abramovic and Ulay, Relation in Space

Rhythm 0

Rhythm 0 stands out as one of Marina Abramović’s most renowned and impactful performances, marking a pivotal moment in the history of performance art. Conducted in 1974 in Naples, the performance involved Abramović standing motionless while the audience was encouraged to interact with her using any of the 72 objects placed on a table nearby. These objects ranged from benign items like a rose, feather, and bread, to more dangerous ones such as a scalpel, nails, and even a loaded gun with a single bullet. Abramović famously remarked later on the experience, stating, “What I learned was that… if you leave it up to the audience, they can kill you.”

The gelatin silver print of the performance was sold for $26,600 at Christie’s London. 

Victory

This artwork portrays Marina Abramović amidst a jungle backdrop, gripping a knife in her hands. Known for her extensive travels, Abramović has journeyed across various landscapes, including spending time traversing Europe, exploring the Australian desert, visiting Tiber, India, and more. Reflecting on her experience in the Australian desert, she remarked, “For me, Aborigines are the most natural human beings: they live not in the past or in the future but in the present. They have a story and a meaning for everything.” She further elaborated, “In that desert, I spent a lot of time simply sitting down: meditating, listening to the silence. This is what opened my universe.”

The cibachrome print of the Victory was sold for $63,600 at Christie’s Paris.

Balkan Baroque

Marina Abramović was born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Following the violent disintegration of Yugoslavia and the outbreak of brutal wars, Belgrade became the capital city of Serbia. Reflecting on her origins, Abramović once remarked to The Guardian: “When people ask me where I am from, I never say Serbia. I always say I come from a country that no longer exists.”

One of Abramović’s notable works, Balkan Baroque, was featured at the Venice Biennale in 1997. In this performance, the artist is depicted sitting amidst a vast pile of bloody cow bones, meticulously washing them one by one while singing folk songs from her childhood. The title of the piece suggests a response to the turmoil in her war-ravaged homeland, the former Yugoslavia. The installation comprises three video projections that convey themes of violence and trauma. Over the course of four days, Abramović remained seated amidst the pile, tirelessly scrubbing away at 1,500 fresh beef bones. As she works, her attire becomes increasingly stained with blood, while she continues to sing folk songs and shed tears.

The Cibachrome print of the performance was sold for $33,800 at Sotheby’s Paris. 

Lips of Thomas

In the performance Lips of Thomas, Marina Abramović pushes her physical boundaries to extremes, ultimately transcending bodily limitations. The performance begins with Abramović consuming 1 kilogram of honey, followed by the ingestion of 1 litre of red wine. Subsequently, she breaks a wine glass with her hand. As the performance progresses, the actions escalate in intensity, leading to acts of self-mutilation, such as carving a five-pointed star into her stomach with a razor blade—a moment that has since become iconic in the annals of performance art. The sculptural installation Lips of Thomas, created in 2005, consists of monitors stacked atop one another, inspired by this performance.

The Chromogenic print of the 2005 performance was sold for $90,000 at Christie’s New York.

Dragon Head

The performances belonging to the Dragon Heads series marked Marina Abramović’s first endeavors following her separation from Ulay. In each iteration, Abramović remains motionless while a snake winds its way around her body. Abramović’s inspiration for this work stemmed from her observation that “snakes can follow the energy of the planet, wherever you put them.” Consequently, during the performances, the snakes would not venture into the audience as they did not slither over the ice surrounding her and the performance space. Instead, they were guided by the warmth and energy emanating from her head and body.

The photograph in color was sold for $2,740 at De Vuyst Lokeren.

The Lovers: The Great Wall

The Lovers: The Great Wall is a poignant chapter in Marina Abramović‘s collaboration with Ulay, marking the culmination of their artistic partnership. In 1988, amidst strained relations, Abramović and Ulay embarked on a spiritual journey that would symbolize the end of their romantic relationship. They undertook The Great Wallwalk, a performance piece where they walked the length of the Great Wall of China from opposite ends, aiming to meet in the middle.

The journey was emotionally charged, with Abramović and Ulay traversing 2500 kilometers each, starting from the Gobi Desert and the Yellow Sea, respectively. As they finally converged at the midpoint of the wall, their encounter became a deeply personal and transformative moment. It signified not only the completion of their artistic endeavor but also a symbolic farewell to their romantic union.

The Lovers: The Great Wall encapsulates the emotional intensity and spiritual significance of Abramović and Ulay’s final collaborative performance, immortalizing their shared journey and the profound impact it had on their lives and artistic practices.

The photography of the piece was sold for $2,400 at Freeman Philadelphia.

Marina Abramovic and Ulay, The Lovers: The Great Wall