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Editorial Reviews
Seductive, fearless, and outrageous, Marina Abramovic has been redefining art for nearly forty years. Using her body as a vehicle, she creates performances that challenge, shock, and move us. Marina Abramovic The Artist Is Present is a mesmerizing journey into the world of radical performance, and an intimate portrait of an astonishing magnetic, endlessly intriguing woman who draws no distinction between life and art.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This compelling documentary portrait of Marina Abramvic, whose life and work intertwine in ways even more fascinating than most would imagine, is in theaters now and will be out as DVD later this fall. It is more an event than a film and it most assuredly is one that should be seen by every art lover, contemporary artist, student and historian.
The extent and nature of Abramovic's output, her use of her own body as a canvas on and through which art is created, has caused a series of sensations from her 1970s work in her native Belgrade through her 2010 career retrospective at New York's Museum of Modern Art. That show, which included a sensational three-month performance viewed by an estimated 750,000 people, is the focus of this film. Director-cinematographer Matthew Akers, whose background is largely shooting television documentaries, has followed the artist to several countries over a 10-month period, shooting hundreds of hours of footage, interviewed the key people in her creative life and assembled archival footage of some of the projects that made her famous.
The film documents Abramovic's earlier works, which include slamming herself into a wall, mutilating and flagellating herself, even driving a van in a circle for 16 hours, shouting numbers through a megaphone. As critic Arthur Danto says, Abramovic's work "directly and boldly challenges an audience." The artist adds that now that the question "Why is this art?" isn't being asked anymore, she finds, "I am missing it." A the reviewer for the LA Times, Kenneth Turan, notes, `But if this aspect of Abramovic -- the self-described creature of "unlimited will power" who is the daughter of two national heroes of the Yugoslavian partisan effort during World War II -- is not unexpected, the personal Marina you meet on film is someone completely different. Frank, disarming, playful and unexpectedly funny, this Marina is someone who, as MOMA curator Klaus Biesenbach says, "seduces everyone she meets." Not only is she great company, but her impulse toward complete candor is also the tonic every documentary covets. Abramovic is especially -- and amusingly -- frank about how much the MOMA show means to her. "After 40 years of people thinking you're insane and should be put in mental hospital, you finally get all this acknowledgment," she says. "I've been 'alternative' since I was born. Excuse me, I'm 63, I don't want to be 'alternative' anymore. I want to be respected before I die."
As far as the title work "The Artist Is Present", the idea came to Abramovic almost at once: Whenever you enter the museum, she will be present. Six days a week, 7˝ hours a day for 90 days, she will sit without eating, drinking or moving from her position as a series of museum visitors line up to sit opposite her. "It is extremely difficult to be like a mountain, to create stillness in the middle of hell," is how Abramovic describes her task. The most resonant part of this surprisingly emotional film demonstrates how powerful this interaction is, how it expresses something that is no less moving for being, literally, beyond words. Grady Harp, June12
The extent and nature of Abramovic's output, her use of her own body as a canvas on and through which art is created, has caused a series of sensations from her 1970s work in her native Belgrade through her 2010 career retrospective at New York's Museum of Modern Art. That show, which included a sensational three-month performance viewed by an estimated 750,000 people, is the focus of this film. Director-cinematographer Matthew Akers, whose background is largely shooting television documentaries, has followed the artist to several countries over a 10-month period, shooting hundreds of hours of footage, interviewed the key people in her creative life and assembled archival footage of some of the projects that made her famous.
The film documents Abramovic's earlier works, which include slamming herself into a wall, mutilating and flagellating herself, even driving a van in a circle for 16 hours, shouting numbers through a megaphone. As critic Arthur Danto says, Abramovic's work "directly and boldly challenges an audience." The artist adds that now that the question "Why is this art?" isn't being asked anymore, she finds, "I am missing it." A the reviewer for the LA Times, Kenneth Turan, notes, `But if this aspect of Abramovic -- the self-described creature of "unlimited will power" who is the daughter of two national heroes of the Yugoslavian partisan effort during World War II -- is not unexpected, the personal Marina you meet on film is someone completely different. Frank, disarming, playful and unexpectedly funny, this Marina is someone who, as MOMA curator Klaus Biesenbach says, "seduces everyone she meets." Not only is she great company, but her impulse toward complete candor is also the tonic every documentary covets. Abramovic is especially -- and amusingly -- frank about how much the MOMA show means to her. "After 40 years of people thinking you're insane and should be put in mental hospital, you finally get all this acknowledgment," she says. "I've been 'alternative' since I was born. Excuse me, I'm 63, I don't want to be 'alternative' anymore. I want to be respected before I die."
As far as the title work "The Artist Is Present", the idea came to Abramovic almost at once: Whenever you enter the museum, she will be present. Six days a week, 7˝ hours a day for 90 days, she will sit without eating, drinking or moving from her position as a series of museum visitors line up to sit opposite her. "It is extremely difficult to be like a mountain, to create stillness in the middle of hell," is how Abramovic describes her task. The most resonant part of this surprisingly emotional film demonstrates how powerful this interaction is, how it expresses something that is no less moving for being, literally, beyond words. Grady Harp, June12
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This amazing story of the life of Marina Abramvic and her work presents an entire portrait of her ideas, her thoughts, and her creativity. Very interesting from start to finish as her impressive contributions are discussed throughout. The Artist in her is brought to light as we indulge in her frame of mind. Enjoyable and Recommended to all art and memoir lovers!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
OK, so this is not a documentary for everyone and yet maybe if you watch it in full it might be. Open your heart.
I first saw it on cable and in the beginning I thought, "Oh gads what it this? This is weird. How can they call this art?"
I continued to watch it though and by the end tears flowed down my face as I understood.
I understood and accepted the women, the artist, and what she was trying to say. I also understood my own motivations in doing my own art. Marina Abramovic's dedication to what she was called to do, her art, her purpose, her work, are unmatched. She is transparent and yet elusive. What I mean by that is that she is not afraid to be seen, to be unopened and share pieces of her soul. And yet, who can ever truly understand another?
I watched the documentary on cable two more times, until it was no longer running and then knew I had to see it again, so I bought it. I watch and listen to it; feel it's presence; feel the her commitment and love for being an artist; as I do my own art. It is a companion to doing art in a way. I treasure this woman and all she has sacrificed in order to show me pieces of myself that I did not see before. Thank you Marina Abramovic.
I first saw it on cable and in the beginning I thought, "Oh gads what it this? This is weird. How can they call this art?"
I continued to watch it though and by the end tears flowed down my face as I understood.
I understood and accepted the women, the artist, and what she was trying to say. I also understood my own motivations in doing my own art. Marina Abramovic's dedication to what she was called to do, her art, her purpose, her work, are unmatched. She is transparent and yet elusive. What I mean by that is that she is not afraid to be seen, to be unopened and share pieces of her soul. And yet, who can ever truly understand another?
I watched the documentary on cable two more times, until it was no longer running and then knew I had to see it again, so I bought it. I watch and listen to it; feel it's presence; feel the her commitment and love for being an artist; as I do my own art. It is a companion to doing art in a way. I treasure this woman and all she has sacrificed in order to show me pieces of myself that I did not see before. Thank you Marina Abramovic.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stunning DVD
I saw her during her performance at MoMA, and wanted this DVD to learn more about the whole project. Read more
Published 8 days ago by Mistercrisp
5.0 out of 5 stars
Comprehensive documentary of her and her work.
Great DVD for a wonderful explanation of her installations and performances. I never fully understood everything and now this helps me expand my definition of art.
Published 2 months ago by C. Eckdall
5.0 out of 5 stars
Faszinierende Künstlerin, Film davon sehr gut umgesetzt
Das ungewöhnliche an dieser Frau, Ihre außergewöhnliche Performance im Museum of Modern Art in New York werde in diesem Film sehr einfühlsam gezeigt.
Published 3 months ago by Teddy Billewicz
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great documentary
First there is Marina Abramovic who is a fascinating artist but above all a fascinating woman. Her intensity is contagious and that's enough reason to watch this movie. Read more
Published 4 months ago by agnesla mexicaine
5.0 out of 5 stars
Intense and Educational for those that love sculpture, painting and...
An education and a look into the psyche of of an all around accomplished artist.. makes you feel a lot!
Published 4 months ago by Carol
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great documentary and touching as well.
I went to the MOMA retrospective and still got more info about Marina (behind the artist) than I expected. Unexpectedly touching. Great doc.
Published 5 months ago by Sali
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great discovery!
An artist friend of mine brought me to see this documentary and I didn't know what to expect.
What a great surprise it was!
Loved it from start to finish! Read more
What a great surprise it was!
Loved it from start to finish! Read more
Published 6 months ago by Legaultnorman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unexpectedly emotional documentary
Fascinating, unexpectedly deeply moving portrait of Marina Abromovic, who is sometimes called 'the grandmother of
performance art" and her hugely successful retrospective at... Read more
performance art" and her hugely successful retrospective at... Read more
Published 6 months ago by K. Gordon
