Marina Abramović's Major London Retrospective Includes Women-Only Tea Party

Marina Abramović's highly anticipated retrospective at the Royal Academy of Arts in London runs from September 23, 2023 to January 1, 2024. The exhibition celebrates her 50-year career, featuring photographs, videos, objects, installations, and four of her most famous performances. Among them is a re-staging of 'The House with the Ocean View' (2002), originally performed at Sean Kelly Gallery in New York, where Abramović lived for twelve days in three custom-built white units. Although developed in close collaboration with the artist, she will not actively participate in the performances; instead, emerging artists from the Royal Academy will re-enact them. Due to a health issue—an embolism—Abramović faces new restrictions: she cannot fly for six months. To attend the London opening, she must travel by boat from New York. Abramović also announced a Women's Tea Party at the RA, a private event exclusively for women, inviting young artists, writers, scientists, actresses, and women from all fields. She noted that in the RA's 255-year history, no woman has ever performed solo in its main space, making her responsibility immense. The tea party was quickly sponsored, reflecting British love for tea.