Marina Abramovi? and the long durational performance works

Marina Abramovi? has defined long durational performance as a core of her practice, from pieces like Rhythm 0 to The Artist Is Present. This overview traces how these works shaped her position in contemporary art.

From the AD HOC NEWS Art Desk » Work Series & Retrospective Desk - The editors cover exhibitions, auctions, collections, prizes and artistic positions. Published: July 11, 2026 · Last checked: July 11, 2026, 10:55 PM

Marina Abramovi? has made long durational performance a benchmark for contemporary art practice. Her pieces such as Rhythm 0 and The Artist Is Present pushed endurance, risk and audience participation into the center of institutional exhibition formats.

Long durational works as a series

In Rhythm 0, first performed in Naples in 1974, Marina Abramovi? placed 72 objects on a table and allowed visitors to use them on her body, testing the limits of audience responsibility and the artist's vulnerability.

She later developed long durational formats in collaborations, notably with Ulay, where pieces such as Rest Energy or The Lovers extended time, tension and emotional exposure as structuring devices, anchoring her reputation as a pioneer of performance art.

Retrospective framing of the practice

The retrospective The Artist Is Present at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2010 re-framed Marina Abramovi?'s long durational works for a broad museum audience, with the artist sitting silently opposite visitors for hours across the exhibition run.

This performance, documented by MoMA, highlighted how an endurance-based piece could become a central institutional attraction, drawing large visitor numbers and extensive media coverage, and reinforcing performance as a collectible and programmable component of major museum shows.

The core of the performance practice

Marina Abramovi?'s practice centers on performance, with a focus on endurance, bodily risk and the psychological encounter between artist and audience. She often uses simple props, fixed duration and strict rules to construct situations that unfold over time.

Where the artist stands now

Marina Abramovi? remains an active performance artist and figure in institutional programming, with ongoing influence on younger generations of performance practitioners and continual reference to her long durational works in curatorial discourse.

Key facts on Marina Abramovi?

• Artist: Marina Abramovi?
• Medium / Genre: Performance and installation art
• Born: 1946, Belgrade, former Yugoslavia (today Serbia)
• Place(s) of practice: Studio-based work with strong ties to Europe and the United States
• Active since: Early 1970s, with performance work emerging from the Belgrade art scene
• Key work groups: Rhythm performances, long durational pieces, collaborative works with Ulay, The Artist Is Present
• Current/last exhibition: Retrospective presentations of The Artist Is Present and earlier performance documentation at institutional venues over the 2010s
• Major collections: MoMA (New York), Guggenheim Museum (New York), Centre Pompidou (Paris), major European public collections
• Awards: Recognized with major international performance and contemporary art awards over several decades
• Next date: currently no announced date in the 30-day window

Frequently asked questions about Marina Abramovi?

What defines Marina Abramovi?'s long durational performance works?
They are characterized by extended time frames, often hours or days, in which the artist maintains a fixed set of actions or positions, inviting the audience to participate, observe and confront their own responses to endurance and vulnerability.

How did The Artist Is Present shape Marina Abramovi?'s museum presence?
At MoMA in 2010, Marina Abramovi? sat silently across from visitors throughout the exhibition, a durational encounter that drew extensive attention and confirmed performance as a central element of major museum programming.

What is the role of collaboration in her performance series?
Collaborations with Ulay in the late 1970s and 1980s introduced relational and emotional dimensions to endurance works, with both artists testing boundaries of trust, risk and separation through carefully staged long durational performances.

This article was produced with a.i. support and editorially reviewed. All statements without guarantee; auction results, exhibition dates and awards may change at short notice.