Ten Defining Performance Artworks of the 21st Century
The latest issue of Contemporary Art has released a list of ten pivotal performance artworks from the 21st century (2000-2026), featuring creators like Santiago Sierra, Pope.L, Zhang Huan, Allora & Calzadilla, and others. The article discusses how performance art has transitioned into mainstream museums, merging elements of opera, choreography, protest, and critique. Notable works include Sierra's 2000 tattooing of heroin-addicted sex workers, Pope.L's extensive nine-year crawl on Broadway, and Zhang Huan's 2002 meat suit at the Whitney Biennial. Margolles's 2009 Venice Biennale piece involved blood, while Abramović's 2010 MoMA performance drew 750,000 attendees. Also highlighted are Pussy Riot's 2012 punk prayer, Imhof's 2017 Faust, and the Golden Lion-winning 2019 Sun & Sea by Barzdžiukaitė, Grainytė, and Lapelytė. Holzinger's upcoming 2026 SEAWORLD VENICE is included, along with translated lyrics from Pussy Riot by Masha Gessen.
Key facts
- Santiago Sierra's '160 cm Line Tattooed on 4 People' (2000) was staged at El Gallo Arte Contemporáneo in Salamanca, Spain, involving four heroin-addicted sex workers.
- Pope.L's 'The Great White Way' (2001–2009) was a nine-year crawl along Broadway in New York, wearing a Superman suit.
- Zhang Huan's 'My New York' (2002) was performed at the Whitney Biennial, featuring a meat suit and white doves.
- Allora & Calzadilla's 'Stop, Repair, Prepare' (2008) was acquired by MoMA and performed in its atrium in 2010.
- Teresa Margolles's 'Limpieza' (2009) was presented at the Mexican Pavilion, 53rd Venice Biennale, using water mixed with blood from murder sites.
- Marina Abramović's 'The Artist Is Present' (2010) at MoMA lasted 736 hours and 30 minutes, attracting roughly 750,000 visitors.
- Pussy Riot's 'Punk Prayer' (2012) was performed at Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour; two members served 21 months in penal colonies.
- Anne Imhof's 'Faust' (2017) won the Golden Lion for Best National Participation at the 57th Venice Biennale.
- Sun & Sea (Marina) (2019) by Barzdžiukaitė, Grainytė, and Lapelytė won the Golden Lion at the 58th Venice Biennale.
- Florentina Holzinger's 'SEAWORLD VENICE' (2026) is commissioned for the Austrian Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale, featuring a tank of filtered urine.
Entities
Artists
- Santiago Sierra
- Pope.L
- Zhang Huan
- Jennifer Allora
- Guillermo Calzadilla
- Teresa Margolles
- Marina Abramović
- Pussy Riot
- Anne Imhof
- Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė
- Vaiva Grainytė
- Lina Lapelytė
- Florentina Holzinger
- Lady Gaga
- Björk
- James Franco
- Ulay
- Patriarch Kirill
- Vladimir Putin
- Masha Gessen
- Susanne Pfeffer
- Nora-Swantje Almes
- Eliza Douglas
- Lea Welsch
- Billy Bultheel
- Nadine Fraczkowski
- Andrej Vasilenko
- Nicole Marianna Wytyczak
Institutions
- El Gallo Arte Contemporáneo
- Whitney Biennial
- MoMA PS1
- Pace Gallery
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
- Mexican Pavilion
- 53rd Venice Biennale
- Galerie Peter Kilchmann
- German Pavilion
- 57th Venice Biennale
- Lithuanian Pavilion
- 58th Venice Biennale
- Austrian Pavilion
- 61st Venice Biennale
- San Jose Museum of Art
- Contemporary Art Issue
Locations
- Salamanca
- Spain
- Broadway
- New York
- United States
- Beijing
- China
- Madison Avenue
- Venice
- Italy
- Palazzo Rota Ivancich
- Moscow
- Russia
- Cathedral of Christ the Saviour
- Marina Militare
- Venice lagoon