Ahead of Marina Abramović’s upcoming exhibition ‘Seven Deaths’, opening March 14th at Copenhagen’s Cisternene, the iconic Serbian artist, who celebrates her 80th birthday later this year, shares her secrets for eluding death
In Marina Abramović’s forthcoming exhibition at Cisternerne in Copenhagen, the legendary performance artist dies not once, but seven times. She dies by falling and by snakes, by stabbing and by fire. Aptly dubbed ‘Seven Deaths’, the show, which unfolds via seven cinematic films that flicker on screens installed throughout the subterranean space (“The space is incredible – like a catacomb with amazing acoustics,” notes Abramović), is based on seven arias sung by opera great Maria Callas (Abramović has also done the performance live, as a modern opera).
Abramović has had a fascination with Callas since, at 14, she first heard the American-Greek soprano over the radio in her grandmother’s kitchen. But it was Callas’ story that made her such a rich source of inspiration for ‘Seven Deaths’. “The story of her is so tragic and to me, the most interesting thing is that love kills her,” says Abramović (though her official cause of death was a heart attack, it’s widely said that Callas died of a broken heart, following her tumultuous relationship with Aristotle Onassis). “In my case, I felt a very similar situation, but for me, the work saved me, and her work didn’t save her.” Abramović is speaking of her relationship with her former partner in art and life, the German artist Ulay. It was with Ulay that Abramović created some of her most indelible works, including ‘Rest Energy’ (1980), in which the duo pulled a bow and arrow taught. A single wrong move, and Abramović would have faced another dramatic death, her heart pierced by the arrow’s tip.
Marina Abramović , 7 Deaths of Maria Callas, 2019 . Photo: Marco Anelli, Courtesy of the Marina Abramovic Archives
Marina Abramović , 7 Deaths of Maria Callas, 2019 . Photo: Marco Anelli, Courtesy of the Marina Abramovic Archives