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The Arts Intel Report

Marina Abramović: Transforming Energy

Marina Abramović, Great Wall Walk, Marina on the Wall, China, 1988.

Until Feb 28, 2025
4777 Binjiang Blvd, 4777, Pudong, China, 200010

Marina Abramović, now 76, refers to herself as the “grandmother of performance art.” In a career of over five decades she has faced down some of life’s toughest subjects. In one of her early performances, to confront her fear of blood, she cut herself. In 1974, she staged Rhythm 0, an arduous act that saw her standing motionless in a gallery for six hours. This exhibition in Shanghai features photographs from Abramović’s 1988 walk along the Great Wall of China. It also sees her exploring the healing properties of crystals. Over 6,600 pounds of minerals—raw hunks and smoothly carved shapes—are part of the sculpture series “Transitory Objects.” Viewers are invited to interact with them. —Elena Clavarino

Photo courtesy of the artist