Imponderabilia: Abramović's 1977 Performance and Its Enduring Legacy on Gender and Sexuality
In 1977, Marina Abramović and Ulay engaged in a performance titled Imponderabilia at a museum in Bologna, where they stood nude for three hours until law enforcement stepped in. A retrospective exhibit at the Royal Academy in London in 2023, curated by Andrea Tarsia, highlighted this work, focusing on its exploration of gender and sexuality. Attendees had the choice of which body to confront, showcasing the fluidity of expression. Although Abramović does not identify as a feminist artist, she restaged the piece at MoMA in 2010 with mixed-gender couples, a collaboration with Ulay, who passed away in 2020. The Royal Academy's display reverted to its original concept while also introducing an alternative entrance to address modern discussions on consent and non-binary identities, ensuring Imponderabilia's ongoing significance.
Fatti principali
- Marina Abramović and Ulay performed Imponderabilia nude in 1977 at a Bologna museum, standing face to face for three hours until police interrupted
- Visitors had to squeeze through the narrow gap between the artists, choosing to face either Marina or Ulay
- The 2023 Royal Academy retrospective in London, curated by Andrea Tarsia, presented Imponderabilia in its original form
- The title means things that cannot be determined, measured, or evaluated with precision
- Albrecht Dürer's early 16th-century Adam and Eve engravings exemplify the binary visual model of gender
- Pablo Picasso's Naked Man and Woman (1967) reflects the enduring legacy of Christian Adam and Eve imagery
- For The Artist is Present at MoMA in 2010, Abramović used both heterosexual and same-sex couples, a decision made with Ulay
- After Ulay's death in 2020, the Royal Academy staging kept a man and a woman, as in 1977
Entità
Artisti
- Marina Abramović
- Ulay
- Andrea Tarsia
- Albrecht Dürer
- Pablo Picasso
- Janez Jan
Istituzioni
- Royal Academy
- Museum of Modern Art
- MoMA
- Janez Jan collective
- Galleria Comunale d'Arte Moderna di Bologna
- Settimana Internazionale della Performance
- Artribune
Luoghi
- Bologna
- Italy
- London
- United Kingdom
- New York
- United States
- Slovenia
Fonti
- Inside Art —
- Artribune —