Few living conceptual artists command more influence than Marina Abramavić. Charismatic, eminent and prolific, many of her experiential artworks (or ‘actions’) are conceived to viscerally affect those who encounter them.
From her early work with Ulay – in which both artists propelled each other into new, evermore extreme and unexplored realms of emotional discomfort and physical endurance – through to her now-legendary durational performance The Artist is Present (2009) and, more recently, a richly diverse and multivarious series of projects (including a major retrospective at the Royal Academy).
Abramavić’s most recent exhibition, Healing Frequency, at London’s newly opened Moco Museum once again seeks to resonate tangibly with visitors. The show invites visitors to be present in the room, in their bodies, in the moment. Gathering together 12 works from the artist’s previous series, Transitory Objects for Human Use, the exhibition features chairs, beds and benches adorned with crystals to promote healing, mindful moments. “This is one of my favourite exhibitions from Marina Abramavić,” explains Moco’s co-founder, Kim Logchies Prins. “It’s spiritual. It really works.”
“Closing eyes is essential. Forget the environment and just emerge in your own experience,” Abramović explained to Dazed during a private tour of the show. “I hope it’s going to be really, truly emotional because the crystals have a certain energy. You have to spend time [with them]. If you go to the gym, you don't get muscles in one day – you have to go and spend time. Here, if you give me the time, I give you experience: love.”
Visit the gallery above for a closer look and, below, watch our chat with Abramović and enjoy a preview of Healing Frequency.
Healing Frequency is running at Moco Museum, London, until March 11, 2024.