Watch Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present

Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present is a documentary film that offers an in-depth and intimate look into the life, work, and artistic journey of Marina Abramovic, widely considered to be one of the most important and influential contemporary artists of our time. Directed by Matthew Akers, this film explores the career of this Serbian performance artist, who has become known for her daring, provocative and often controversial performances that have spanned more than four decades.

The movie revolves around Abramovic's strenuous preparation for a major retrospective of her work at New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in 2010. The centerpiece of the exhibition is a new performance art piece, "The Artist Is Present," which sees Abramovic sitting motionless in a chair for 8 hours a day, every day, for three months, while museumgoers are invited to sit in front of her and engage in contemplative silence. The work includes both the physical endurance of the artist and the emotional experience of those who participate in the performance.

The film provides a glimpse into Abramovic's personal life and explores her memories and experiences growing up under the shadow of communist Yugoslavia. It depicts the expressionist tendencies of her art and how she found her medium in performance art. The movie also features archive footage of Abramovic's stunning performances from the past, such as "The Lovers" with former partner Ulay, where the two artists walked 2,500 km towards each other from opposite ends of China's Great Wall in 1988, and met in an emotional embrace after 90 days.

Through her work and struggle, Abramovic has transcended different boundaries and made social and political statements that address human vulnerability and suffering in a way no other artist has done before. In one of the scenes, she wails in front of a goat carcass to show the agony of an animal's slaughter, reminding the audience that the violence one sees is only the tip of the iceberg.

At the core of the movie are the interviews with Abramovic, which illustrate her philosophical beliefs about art and life. She talks about how the nature of performance art is different from all other art forms since the artist is an integral part of the artwork itself. Her works deal with the relationship between performer and audience, where the performer becomes the subject and the object of viewers' gaze. This intimate connection creates a shared energy, which Abramovic believes could promote deeper human understanding.

The film also puts a spotlight on the relationship between Abramovic and Ulay, the German artist she collaborated with romantically and creatively for over a decade. The couple split in 1988 after completing their final collaborative work, "The Great Wall Walk," which took them along the entire length of the Great Wall of China. During the MoMA exhibition, viewers witness the heart-wrenching reunion of Abramovic and Ulay, who arrived unannounced to sit across from her during the "Artist is Present" piece.

The movie provides an insight into Abramovic's work process, which is highly methodical and almost scientific. She says that her work demands months of preparation, including physical and mental training to attain an almost trance-like state, and the immersion into deep empathy. The documentary captures the nerves, sweat, and tears that go into the making of a grand performance piece. It shows how much is at stake for Abramovic when she performs before a live audience, where mistakes do not have a second chance.

Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present is a thought-provoking movie that gives the audience an exclusive insight into the world of performance art and an opportunity to peek into the mind of one of the greatest artists of our time. The movie is a moving testament to the human spirit, determination, and the creative process, and it's highly recommended for anyone looking for inspiration, insight, or understanding of contemporary art.

Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present is a 2012 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 46 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.8 and a MetaScore of 74.