Marina Abramović Accused of Satanism After Microsoft Video

Marina Abramović has been accused of satanism by internet haters and conspiracy theorists following a promotional video published by Microsoft on April 10. The video features Abramović discussing her mixed reality performance 'The Life,' created with Microsoft's HoloLens 2 headset. The accusations stem from an article on the far-right blog Infowars, linking the video to earlier conspiracy theories from 2016, during the US presidential elections. Those theories were based on hacked emails from John Podesta, Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman, which mentioned Abramović's 1997 work 'Spirit Cooking.' Abramović previously denied the accusations, stating her work is far from satanism. Microsoft has since removed the video. 'The Life' was performed at the Serpentine Gallery in London from February 19 to 24, 2019, allowing visitors a 19-minute intimate digital encounter with the artist. Produced by Tin Drum, the work explores the concept of material absence. A copy of 'The Life' is scheduled for auction at Christie's in October during London Art Week, with an estimated value of $700,000.