Marina Abramović Is Returning to London With Another Groundbreaking Exhibition
Reimagining two of her seminal performance videos, presented by Saatchi Yates.
Pushing boundaries and playing with physical discomfort, renowned conceptual artist Marina Abramović is returning to London with another groundbreaking exhibition presented by Saatchi Yates in London.
The ambitious show reimagines two of Abramović’s iconic performance videos, ‘Blue Period’ and ‘Red Period,’ by transforming them from video format into a series of 1,200 individual photographic stills. Known for her work that delves into human emotion and pushes the boundary of physical endurance, this time is no different, but it also adds an exploration of the symbolic power of color.
In ‘Red Period,’ Abramović is shot close-up and bathed in a monochrome red. She smiles and gestures seductively at the viewer with a raised finger, beckoning. Her expression morphs with a mood oscillating between allure and fatigue, yanking her own hair and biting her finger. The red holds a layered symbolism here with energy, vitality, femininity and seduction all at play.
In ‘Blue Period,’ Abramović takes the same close-up position but this time bathed in a cool blue tone. A pop song plays as she bites her nails, with a gaze that is something between detachment and pain. The blue filter conjures an emotional coldness, vulnerability and a certain energetic transformation. Originally part of her seminal 16-channel installation, ‘Video Portrait Gallery’ (1975-2002), the videos have previously been shown in major institutions but are now radically reborn. The exhibition offers a totally new way to engage with the works, allowing the viewer to linger frame-by-frame. Get ready to experience one of the artist’s most intimate performances with a new stillness and intensity.
The exhibition will be on view from October 1 for only one month at the Saatchi Yates gallery, with a rare opportunity to buy each unique still from the series.
In other art news, the world’s biggest Tracey Emin exhibition is coming to London.
