My Personal Favorite Work by Abramović

My personal favorite performance by Marina Abramović: Imponderabilia (1977):

In 1976 Abramović met Ulay, and over the next decade they collaborated in a series of relational performances during which they referred to themselves as a collective, androgynous being called “Ulay-Abramović.” In these works Abramović and Ulay questioned the socially defined identities of both femininity and masculinity, while also continuing to test their limits. These performances by Abramović and Ulay were not meant to be pleasing spectacles, but rather to disturb the viewer from a role of passivity.

In their 1977 performance, Imponderabilia, Abramović and Ulay stood as human doorposts on either side of the narrow entrance to the Galleria Communale d’Arte Moderna, in Bologna, Italy. The narrowness of the space forced visitors to squeeze sideways between them, forced to choose whether to face the naked Ulay or naked Abramović in order to enter the museum. Upon viewing the filmed footage from this performance, one notes that what stands out the most in this piece is not the vulnerability of the two naked artists, but rather the vulnerability and uncertainty of the visitors. Each person, upon reaching the entrance, was forced to decide first, whether they would enter the museum, and next, whether they would face the naked Abramović or the naked Ulay. By placing these decisions in the hands of the viewer, Imponderabilia becomes a performance of reflection on the subsequent reactions and interactions of the spectators. This piece also reflects Abramović and Ulay’s shared interest in duration, as the piece was performed in shifts, repeated throughout the exhibition, for a total of 700 hours.

Video of the Imponderabilia performance is available here.