Exhibition within the Gropius Bau: Marina Abramović explores eroticism as a life drive | EUROtoday

As of: April 20, 2026 • 4:31 p.m

Eroticism releases inventive forces, whereas its suppression releases aggression: to point out this in Berlin, the artist Marina Abramović makes use of experiences from her dwelling within the former Yugoslavia.

At the start of the exhibition there may be an not easily seen feminine determine, about ten centimeters tall, with no head or arms, however with a voluminous butt. “Almost like a Kardashian butt,” feedback Jenny Schlenzka, the director of Gropius Bau.

This depiction of a fertility goddess is greater than 8,000 years outdated and was present in Macedonia a couple of years in the past. She is the proper begin to discuss eroticism and the Balkans: “Marina Abramović “Always talks about how these erotic powers are one thing historical, and that is precisely what this determine reveals,” explains Schlenzka.

The Balkans as recurring Theme

She has recognized Marina Abramović for greater than 20 years. In the brand new exhibition, the artist combines new works with the early ones, as a result of the Balkans have at all times been Abramović’s theme. The artist was born in Belgrade, however nonetheless describes herself as Yugoslavian.

She obtained worldwide consideration along with her work “Balkan Baroque” on the Venice Biennale in 1997, for which she was awarded the Golden Lion. In response to the Balkan wars of the Nineteen Nineties, Abramović spent 4 days scrubbing bloody cattle bones with a wire brush. Her new works have extra lightness and permit her wit to shine by means of.

Cheerful and life-affirming Work

The fertility ritual, during which girls in Balkan costumes therapeutic massage their naked breasts, will also be seen as entertaining, as Jenny Schlenzka notes: “In the exhibition we can show how she comes from a very serious, critical, almost dark relationship to her body and her origins. Today her approach to it is completely different: she looks at the rituals, body and sexuality in a much more cheerful and life-affirming way.”

Curators Agnes Gryczkowska and Jenny Schlenzka deliberate and designed the exhibition along with the artist. The two spent three days visiting Abramović’s home within the Hudson Valley north of New York City. Just just like the individuals in Abramović’s common workshops, they started their days swimming within the river with the artist, cooking and laughing so much collectively.

Abramović lives the extremes

“She is the strongest woman you can imagine, and on the other hand she is incredibly fragile,” says Schlenzka. Abramović additionally lives these extremes in her artwork: from performances like “Rhythm 5” from 1974, during which the artist fainted whereas mendacity in a burning star, to her best-known efficiency thus far, “The Artist Is Present”.

In the exhibition of the identical identify on the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2010, the artist sat on a chair with out interruption throughout opening hours for 75 days. Visitors may sit reverse her and are available into contact with the artist. Deeply touching scenes emerged.

childhood in communist Yugoslavia

Abramović says her childhood and youth made her the one who can create this artwork. Her dad and mom fought as partisans within the Second World War, and her mom was a high-ranking official underneath Tito. For the primary years of her life, Abramović was raised by her very spiritual grandmother, from whom she additionally realized concerning the historical rituals of the Balkans.

Here she obtained love that, in response to her story, was denied her by her strict mom. The communist drill utilized to her. These contrasting influences could be felt within the exhibition “Balkan Erotic Epic”. For Marina Abramović, eroticism just isn’t replica, intercourse or pornography, however a religious, connecting drive.

Eroticism as omnipresent life drive

She attracts inspiration for the brand new performances on the theme of eroticism from rites, conventional legends and customs from the Balkans – however she takes her inventive freedom within the illustration. Women knead their naked breasts for an excellent harvest or carry their skirts and present their vulvas to ask the heavens to cease the fixed rain.

For Abramović, erotic energy is in all the pieces, in folks in addition to in nature, describes Schlenzka. If this power just isn’t lived out “in rituals or sexual experiences,” it may flip into aggression and destruction – and we’re at some extent in world politics the place that appears essential,” says Schlenzka. For instance, the exhibition criticizes the Tito cult and the nationalism that emerged later, which led to genocide and battle within the Balkans.

Awakened eroticism in outdated age

Marina Abramović lives her eroticism at this time, she says. It wasn’t at all times like this: she solely had intercourse for the primary time on the age of 24 and was solely capable of take pleasure in it a few years later. It wasn’t till she was in her 70s that her private eroticism actually woke up. Today she has a boyfriend who’s 20 years her junior, placing her alongside different performers with youthful companions akin to Madonna and Cher.

“In our culture we always think that older people don’t have sexual experiences. Marina says that for her it’s exactly the opposite. Of course that sounds good,” says Schlenzka with a smile. “It makes you look forward to it, doesn’t it?”