Walk Through Walls (Abramović)
Short summary
Communist Yugoslavia, 1946-1970s. Marina Abramović grew up in Belgrade with war hero parents whose violent marriage traumatized her childhood. Her controlling mother beat her regularly while her philandering father remained largely absent. At six, Marina discovered art as her escape and calling.
In the early 1970s, she pioneered radical performance art using her body as medium, staging dangerous pieces involving knives, fire, and public vulnerability. In 1976, she met German artist Ulay in Amsterdam and began an intense romantic and artistic partnership.
Together they created groundbreaking performances exploring trust, endurance, and relationship dynamics. They lived with Australian Aborigines, learning telepathic communication and stillness. During spiritual retreats with Tibetan monks and Brazilian shamans, Marina discovered her deeper purpose.
Your purpose is to help humans to transcend pain.
In 1988, Marina and Ulay ended their relationship by walking the Great Wall of China from opposite ends, meeting in the middle to say goodbye. Marina continued solo, winning the Venice Biennale Golden Lion in 1997. Her 2010 MoMA retrospective "The Artist Is Present" became legendary - she sat motionless for 736 hours, gazing silently at thousands of visitors who often wept from the emotional intensity. She established the Marina Abramović Institute to preserve immaterial art and teach her method of transcending physical and mental limits through presence.
Detailed summary by chapters
Chapter titles are editorial.
Chapter 1. Early childhood memories and family background in Communist Yugoslavia
Marina Abramović's earliest memory occurred at age four when she encountered a large snake in the forest with her grandmother. Her grandmother's scream, rather than the snake itself, instilled her first sense of fear, teaching her that fear was often imposed by others. She grew up in postwar Communist Yugoslavia under Marshal Tito's dictatorship, describing the aesthetic of Communism as 'pure ugliness' marked by perpetual shortages and overcrowded apartment blocks.
Despite general hardship, Marina's family enjoyed privileges because her parents were war heroes who fought against the Nazis with Yugoslav partisans. Her father served in Tito's elite guard while her mother directed an institute for historic monuments. Born prematurely in 1946, Marina spent her first six years with her grandmother after her mother's prolonged hospitalization. When her brother was born, she returned to her parents' home, where life worsened considerably. She was jealous of her favored brother and found solace in imaginary 'luminous beings' in a dark closet where she was often locked as punishment.
Chapter 2. Swimming lessons and early artistic development in Belgrade and abroad
Marina recounted a traumatic swimming lesson where her father threw her into the Adriatic Sea at age six, intending to teach her to swim but instead instilling furious anger that paradoxically enabled her survival. Her early artistic career began with acceptance into the Academy of Fine Arts, where she painted commercial works that later embarrassed her. She developed an interest in traffic accidents and conceptual art, creating 'Three Secrets' in 1965. During the 1968 student demonstrations in Belgrade, Marina actively participated while her father dramatically denounced the Communist Party, throwing his membership card into the crowd.
Chapter 3. Leaving Belgrade and discovering performance art in Edinburgh
After leaving Belgrade, Marina struggled with various jobs in Edinburgh and London, including working as a postwoman and in a toy factory. She married Neša for convenience to escape her mother's control, though they lived apart. Her breakthrough came when Scottish curator Richard Demarco invited her group to the Edinburgh Festival. There, Marina performed 'Rhythm 10', a dangerous knife game where she stabbed knives between her fingers while recording her groans.
I had experienced absolute freedom—I had felt that my body was without boundaries, limitless; that pain didn't matter, that nothing mattered at all—and it intoxicated me.
Chapter 4. Meeting Ulay and beginning their artistic collaboration
Marina continued developing increasingly dangerous performances, including 'Rhythm 5' with fire, 'Rhythm 2' with pills, and 'Rhythm 0' where she offered herself as a passive object to the audience for six hours with 72 objects including a pistol. The public's escalating aggression culminated in someone putting a bullet in the gun and pointing it at her neck. In 1975, she met Ulay at de Appel gallery in Amsterdam, immediately drawn to his unique appearance and discovering they shared a birthday.
They began their intense romantic and artistic partnership, creating collaborative performances like 'Relation in Space' where they ran naked toward each other, colliding. Marina divorced Neša and committed fully to their nomadic lifestyle, living in a Citroën van and performing pieces like 'Breathing In, Breathing Out' and 'Imponderabilia'.
Chapter 5. Developing the Abramović Method and traveling performances
Marina and Ulay traveled to New York in 1978, where Marina was fascinated by the punk scene and Soho's artistic community. They performed 'Three' with a python, despite Marina's lifelong fear of snakes. Their partnership began showing strain as Marina was increasingly seen as the dominant figure, often mentioned first in articles while Ulay was sometimes omitted entirely. Marina attended a conference in Micronesia alone, feeling guilty about leaving Ulay behind. They explored hypnosis for their art, creating performances like 'Rest Energy' where Ulay held a bow with an arrow pointed at Marina's chest.
Chapter 6. Life with Australian Aborigines and spiritual discoveries
Seeking new directions for performance art, Marina and Ulay traveled to Australia in 1980 to live among the Aborigines. They spent months with the Pitjantjatjara and Pintupi tribes in the desert, learning about their spiritual connection to the land and experiencing telepathic communication. The extreme conditions forced them to slow all bodily functions, and Marina received prophetic visions. A medicine man healed her migraines and gave Ulay the tribal name 'Tjungarrayi,' meaning 'dying eagle.' Under a full moon at Christmas, they conceived their Great Wall project while a wedge-tailed eagle landed across their fire and died by morning.
Their desert experience inspired 'Gold Found by the Artists,' later renamed 'Nightsea Crossing,' where they sat motionless for eight hours daily, staring at each other with a python on the table. They performed this piece ninety times over five years across Europe and North America. During performances, Ulay sometimes left due to pain, creating tension in their relationship. They traveled to India for spiritual retreats, meeting the Dalai Lama's teacher and completing a twenty-one-day Vipassana meditation. They also created multicultural pieces involving Tibetan monks and Aboriginal elders.
The pain was like a wall I had walked through and come out on the other side.
Their relationship continued deteriorating due to the demands of their performances, which required abstinence and emotional distance. The tragic death of five colleagues in a plane crash after missing a protective ceremony deeply affected Marina, shattering her belief that happiness could protect from misfortune.
Chapter 7. The Great Wall project planning and relationship challenges
The Great Wall project faced numerous obstacles as the Chinese government was reluctant to allow foreigners to be the first to walk the Wall. After years of negotiations, the Dutch government embraced the project as a diplomatic tool. Meanwhile, Marina and Ulay's relationship crumbled due to Ulay's infidelities and their inability to perform together. Marina had an affair with painter Robin Winters, confessing to Ulay, only to discover he had been living with another woman. Despite their personal breakdown, they continued working together, hiding their relationship's failure for three years. In Bangkok, Marina orchestrated a ménage à trois to witness Ulay's infidelity, experiencing complete emotional numbness.
Marina sought spiritual refuge at a Himalayan monastery for a Green Tara retreat, repeating a mantra over a million times while visualizing herself as the goddess. This three-month isolation led to profound states of cosmic consciousness. In Ladakh, she witnessed a monk perform superhuman feats while wearing a divine mask, learning that the performer becomes the Divine Entity with limitless energy.
Chapter 8. Walking the Great Wall of China and the end with Ulay
In 1988, Marina and Ulay finally began their Great Wall walk, starting from opposite ends. What began as 'The Lovers' had become a farewell performance. Marina walked from the east with her Chinese guide Dahai Han, initially hostile but gradually becoming a friend. The walk presented numerous challenges: dangerous terrain, harsh weather, unsanitary conditions, and constant military supervision. Marina climbed 'Never Standing Hill' despite soldiers' warnings, proving her determination. After three months, she met Ulay at Erlang Shen, but instead of the romantic reunion originally planned, he revealed he had impregnated his translator and planned to marry her. This marked the definitive end of their twelve-year partnership.
Following the breakup, Marina felt lost and impulsively bought a dilapidated house in Amsterdam occupied by heroin addicts. Through persistence, she cleared the property and secured a mortgage. She entered a destructive relationship with a narcissistic Spaniard and began creating 'transitory objects'—mineral-infused sculptures designed to transmit energy. She moved to Paris, ended the relationship after his affair, and traveled to Brazil to find crystals. In 1992, she created 'Biography' with Charles Atlas, serving as her definitive declaration of independence from Ulay.
Chapter 9. Solo career development and Venice Biennale success
Marina found new representation with Sean Kelly, who had just resigned from his gallery position. She visited her parents during the Bosnian war, witnessing her father's disillusionment and her mother's stoic strength. This inspired her complex piece 'Delusional' in Frankfurt, featuring herself on an ice bed surrounded by rats. She supported herself teaching workshops across Europe, forming the Independent Performance Group and creating 24-hour performances. She met Paolo Canevari at the Venice Biennale, beginning an intense affair despite his existing relationship.
Marina performed 'Balkan Baroque' in the Venetian basement, scrubbing bloody cow bones for four days while videos of her parents played. The performance, symbolizing the brutal Balkan mentality, won her the Golden Lion for best artist. She felt a profound connection with the audience, marking her first major solo success.
Art must be disturbing, art must ask questions, art must predict the future.
Chapter 10. Teaching workshops and major exhibitions worldwide
Marina traveled globally conducting workshops and exhibitions, creating spiritual installations in Japan including 'Black Dragon' and pieces for the Okazaki Mindscape Museum. In 1999, she was invited to choreograph 120 Buddhist monks for a festival in Bangalore, learning lessons in detachment when her planned human pyramid proved impossible in Tibetan Buddhism. Ten monks later visited her Amsterdam home, performing a cleansing ritual that mysteriously solved her mortgage problems. Her brother Velimir and his daughter moved in during NATO bombing of Belgrade. Marina's father died without reconciliation, inspiring her video tribute 'The Hero.' She bought back her archive from Ulay and moved to New York with Paolo.
Marina performed 'The House with the Ocean View' shortly after 9/11, living on platforms in a gallery for twelve days, performing all bodily functions publicly. This piece aimed to purify herself and create an energy dialogue with the audience. During this performance, she connected with Susan Sontag, beginning a deep friendship that lasted until Sontag's death from cancer.
Chapter 11. Relationship with Paolo and preparing for MoMA retrospective
Marina created 'Balkan Erotic Epic,' exploring ancient fertility rituals, while Paolo gained recognition with his skull soccer video. She then undertook 'Seven Easy Pieces' at the Guggenheim, re-performing historical performance art pieces to educate the public and address preservation issues. She secured permissions from artists' estates, including Eva Beuys for her husband's work. The performances included extending 'Thomas Lips' to seven hours and concluding with 'Entering the Other Side,' standing on a twenty-foot platform for seven hours.
Marina's relationship with Paolo deteriorated due to their contrasting work ethics—she was driven while he desired relaxation. Despite loving him, she felt solely responsible for their financial stability. Paolo eventually left to 'find himself,' returning sporadically and causing immense pain. She discovered he had left her for another woman, leading to divorce. She sought healing through travel and created 'Confession,' confessing her life's flaws to a donkey in Kenya.
Chapter 12. The Artist Is Present at MoMA and its aftermath
Marina's MoMA retrospective 'The Artist Is Present' required her to sit motionless for eight to ten hours daily for three months, maintaining eye contact with visitors. She underwent rigorous physical and mental training, including a specialized diet. The performance began March 14, 2010, with participants sitting opposite her without speaking or touching. Scientists noted that brain waves synchronized during mutual gaze. Ulay unexpectedly appeared on opening day, leading to a touching moment where she broke protocol by holding his hands.
There is nowhere to go except into yourself. And that's the thing. People have so much pain, and we're all always trying to push it down.
Chapter 13. Later projects and the Marina Abramović Institute
After 'The Artist Is Present,' Marina's professional life transformed with increased staff and global recognition. She collaborated with Robert Wilson on 'The Life and Death of Marina Abramović,' toured for three years, and worked with shamans in Brazil for healing. She developed the Abramović Method, first implemented at PAC Milan in 2012, and collaborated with Lady Gaga on a viral workshop video that boosted her Kickstarter campaign. The Marina Abramović Institute evolved from a planned physical building to an immaterial, nomadic organization bringing her method to institutions worldwide.
I don't know if this is art... This was life. Could art, should art, be isolated from life? I began to feel more and more strongly that art must be life—it must belong to everybody.