About Marina Abramovi?: The Artist is Present

The movie, Marina Abramovi?: The Artist is Present is a documentary directed by Matthew Akers and Jeff Dupre. It is about the life of performance artist Marina Abramovi?, showcasing her work and the preparation for the significant retrospective of her performance at The Museum of Modern Art in New York. The film beautifully demonstrates her bold and innovative approach to art and her willingness to push physical and emotional boundaries.

Making / Production

The production of this documentary took over a year. It included extensive interviews with Abramovi? and documentation of her performances at MoMA. The directors aimed to create an intimate portrait of Abramovi?, highlighting her dedication to her art form.

Actors

• Marina Abramovi?: The Serbian performance artist played herself. Known for her provocative art, Abramovi? allowed the filmmakers to capture her preparation and her performances with honesty and intensity.
• Klaus Biesenbach: As himself, the curator at MoMA, Klaus provided insights and behind-the-scenes look at the retrospective exhibition.
• David Balliano: Featured as himself, a close collaborator and friend of Marina, his interactions with her showed the personal side of Abramovi?.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The movie had an unprecedented premiere at MoMA in New York, mirroring the venue of the meta-exhibition.
• During her performance at MoMA, Marina Abramovi? sat silent and immobile for over 736 hours.

Awards

The film received awards for Best Documentary Feature at the Sarasota Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival. It also got nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

Quotes

• "An Artist's life is an example of his work." - Marina Abramovi?
• "In performance, there is a real presence of the time. That’s the real test." - Marina Abramovi?

Soundtrack

• "Two Possibilities" performed by Laurie Spiegel
• "Part I" performed by Jacaszek