2023-07-01 04:51:00
Under the guidance of Marina Abramović, 24 students from the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen created a real performance. It is shown for the first time at the Folkwang Museum. One of the elements is the production of “Are you hungry?”. A young man sits at a large round table and … peels potatoes. This is Aleksandar Timotic, a 31-year-old opera singer from Serbia. There is still a lot of work – in front of him is a whole mountain of potatoes. But Timotich is in no hurry. At this table, he will spend 9 days and all this time peel potatoes, singing opera arias. The artist invites everyone who comes to join him, and at the same time listen to his singing. However, as Timotich admitted, he does not know if he can hold out for six hours a day.
Abramovich taught students endurance
But he is supported by Marina Abramović, a world-famous artist and visiting professor at the new Pina Bausch (1940-2009) chair at the University of Essen. A specialist in the art of endurance, as Abramovich is often called, taught Timotich not to be afraid and overcome himself. A legend of actionism and one of the most influential people in contemporary art, Abramovich taught students of various fields for a year: singers, musicians, directors, photographers, actors, composers aged 17 to 29. The final work of numerous videoconferences and meetings was the “54-hour performance” launched in Essen, curated by Marina Abramovic and Billy Zhao.
Marina Abramovic is a master of shocking performancePhoto: Aris Messinis/AFP
The main component of the long performances made by students is the ability to control oneself, in particular, to focus, concentrate and show endurance. In order to develop an iron will in her students, Marina Abramovich led them through a harsh school. One of the stages was the week-long “Cleaning the House Workshop”, which took place in the mountains of Sparta in Greece. “House cleaning” meant, first of all, learning to be more attentive to yourself and your needs, to take care of yourself. This training camp lasted a week. “For five days there was no food and it was forbidden to talk, but you could do physical exercises to understand and feel what time means, what presence means. And then we worked on a project, the results of which can now be seen,” Marina Abramovich explained in DW interview. The artist proudly spoke about how she tried all this year to instill in her students enthusiasm, artistic skills, discipline and self-discipline – all the traits that distinguish her work.
Of course, the test in the mountains does not compare with her own work. For example, with the 2010 performance “The Artist is Present” at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Then Abramovich sat in a chair for 600 hours, staring intently and silently into the eyes of 1,650 shifting visitors. At the presentation of the new project in Essen, 76-year-old Marina Abramovich will not be able to attend in person for health reasons, but will watch what is happening through video broadcast.
Performance by violinist Maria RadavanovichPhoto: Sabine Oelze/DW
It won’t work to cheat
“In such long performances, you can’t pretend, otherwise you will become vulnerable. This is the only way to create a very emotional dialogue with the public, this is something unique. And this is now being demonstrated by art students,” the world art star explained in a conversation with DW.
Another of the student performances this time is connected not with food, but with rest, which is no less important for a person. In the middle of the room, in a festive green satin dress, 22-year-old violinist Maria Radavanovich plays for her guest, and only for him alone. But he can’t see her – the chair he’s sitting on is turned towards a green wall with nothing on it. “I wanted to create a situation where people could just sit. Without their mobile phones. Just look at the wall and relax,” the violinist explains her idea. And Marina Abramovich supported her in this. The student said that it was only within the framework of the “House Cleaning” master class that she first realized what it was like to just sit for hours and look at a sheet of colored paper. “I would be happy if people would sit in this chair for as long as possible and just listen, look and think,” she says.
Conquered fears for all to see
All 24 completely different and bold performances take place at the Folkwang Museum at the same time in small separate pavilions. Visitors choose according to their mood what they want to see. In a production of The Blank Slate by Italian Francesco Marzano, where he reads aloud from his diaries and then rips out and destroys each page he reads. Or watch Camilo Gutman non-stop tap-dancing on the pieces of a broken mirror. Or maybe try to overcome your fears, as Clara Gunther does? A naked girl is on a white tiled pedestal among torn pillows, periodically rubbed with beet tops and wallows in feathers, reincarnating into a strange creature like a bird. And so 9 days … But does it go too far? Marina Abramovic is delighted with such courage of her students. She commented on this performance in the following way: “I asked Clara what she was afraid of. She replied:” To be naked and a chicken. “And then I said:” Let’s do it! “And as a result – she is both naked and a chicken! I wanted encourage her to tell her own drama.” Judging by the works presented by the students, Maria Abramović succeeded in encouraging not only Clara, but also other young artists to tell their stories to everyone – without pretending and without fear.
Performance by Clara Günther – nude in feathersPhoto: Sabine Oelze/DW
Project“54 Hours Performances” can be seen from June 30 to July 9, 2023 at the Folkwang Museum in Essen.
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