Marina Abramović’s Allegedly Kinky, “Criminal” MOCA Gala
So, Marina Abramović just got burned by someone she really respects, all because she’s planning to “humiliate” her performers by laying them nude on and under tables where the elite MOCA Gala attendees can gawk at and fondle them tomorrow. Apparently, it reminds people of Passolini’s sexually sadistic torture epic, Salò.
One very upset person who auditioned to be part of Abramović’s shin-ding wrote a letter, complaining directly to the renowned experimental artist/dancer/choreographer Yvonne Rainer:
“The deal is that the artists/dancers she will hire will spend 3(!) hours under the dining tables of the donor gala with their heads protruding from the tables. They will be sitting on lazy susans under the table and slowly rotating and making eye contact with the donors/diners. f course we were warned that we will not be able to leave to pee, etc. That the diners may try to feed us, give us drinks, fondle us under the table, etc but will be warned not to. Whatever happens, we are to remain in performance mode and unaffected. What the fuck?!”
For the 15 hour, two day performance, the artists will be paid $150 plus a one year MOCA membership to be played with by museum head Jeffrey Deitch and honorable guests Debbie Harry, Larry Gagosian and Dasha Zhukova. Fancy art benefactors will pay $2,500 to $10,000 to attend the Gala and $25,000 to $100,000 per table. There will be heads. There will be nudes hugging skeletons. There will be a party. The comparison is definitely a stretch, but you can see the Salò relation, sans obvious political allegory. Now then, the appalled audition attendant is considering revenge!
“Since I cannot stomach being a turning, severed head while people get drunk in front of me, I am seriously considering taking a naked role and performing an intervention at the gala celebration… sick shit. God, we need a revolution.”
Like the streaker at MoMA’s last day of The Artist Is Present, perhaps? Good luck getting in. But Rainer bit, and responded, condemning the Gala as “grotesque” and “verg[ing] on economic exploitation:”
“Subjecting her performers to public humiliation at the hands of a bunch of frolicking donors is yet another example of the Museum’s callousness and greed and Ms Abramovic’s obliviousness to differences in context and some of the implications of transposing her own powerful performances to the bodies of others.”
Abramović was read the letter aloud, responding:
“Wow. I hope the performance itself will bring some kind of dignity, serenity, and concentration to the normal situation of a gala, and actually change the energy of the space and bring the performance into an everyday life situation. All these accusations, you can’t have them before you actually experience the situation and see how I can change the atmosphere, that’s my main purpose… I really respect Yvonne.”
As in, don’t dog it till you see it. Good point! Indeed! Agreed! But, as much as an Abramović fan girl this blogger has always been, let’s not pretend that just because this is performance art it isn’t simultaneously a bunch of ambitious nude young’uns surrendered to their authority figures, made to perform possibly exhibitionist, humiliating acts (’cause it’s a fucking party) for a few bucks and then, perhaps, have to feel bad about it afterwards… unless they really, really, really, really concentrate. Why bother? I’m sure with a properly-worded open call, ready and willing volunteers would have gladly paid for the experience.
Editor-in-Chief:
Why does no one ever say anything here anymore?
Thanks for your post on the Abramovic MOCA mess. There are two main problems as I see it. First, in her early and much lauded work, Abramovic put HER OWN body into challenging and questioning situations. Now she is putting (most likely, based on her casting of her MoMA show in 2010, young) OTHER PEOPLE into these positions. This significant shift changes the implications of the work and the message. To do this and at the same time pay a sub-standard wage is simply unacceptable. $150 plus a membership at MOCA for a full performance, plus rehearsal and prep time is just ridiculous. The participating performers are being taken advantage of by Abramovic and MOCA, regardless of what one thinks of the artistic merit of the project.
afterwards, not afterwords
Can't you all wait with comments and complaints until the gala has happened??
And by the way: the artist have their own will and they can decide themselves about joining in this performance!
I am neither artist nor critic, so take this as a layperson’s evaluation of the situation. Even if it is art, even if it is fully voluntary, it seems a bit distasteful.
Consider that there is a huge difference in the socioeconomic standing between the performers and the attendees in the gala, and then consider that one is being asked to fully submit to the other, and it starts to look like an ugly show of wealth and power.
But that is coming from my understanding of the word “fondle” being used a sexual sense rather than the more neutral face and body flab grope.
The pay isn’t the issue here. Plenty of people would be happy to sit around for a few hours and make $150. The issue that perhaps should be raised is that this kind of attention stunt is provocation for provication’s sake alone. If provocation = art, then fine. But this took neither skill nor thought to create. The only reason that people don’t do this kind of thing more often is that it is a bad idea.
But how is this legal? Isn’t it prostitution to get paid for people fondling you?
Sounds mind numbingly tedious, boring and pretentious but each to their own!
Hello…
The MOCA Gala Dinner Art Performance Piece envisioned by the incredibly talented Marina Abramovic went off swimmingly. That’s because, from begin to end, she and her creative collaborators were committed to her creative artistic vision. As well those who were truly capable and interested in their chosen role were auditioned, rehearsed and showed up for it to art it out.
I personally was a center “gazing head” piece and enjoyed my part. As did others who I spoke with after the curtain was drawn. FYI, a while back in NYC, I was one of the willing nude talents in Marina’s NYC Nude Subway shoot that was shot by Martin Schoeller.So it was fabulous to be a part of another creative Abramovic adventure!
Sure it had its challenges, but what art in any medium doesn’t. That being said, it was a success overall and we all ate delicious cake to celebrate the culmination of its ending!
- Carpe Diem – Janice Marie Foote…
Willing nude talents? Please don’t fool yourself into thinking that this involves talent. As I said above – it takes neither skill nor talent to devise random provocation in a museum or at a party. It is a stunt for attention and succeeds only as such (it certainly got my attention). I could go to dunkin donuts naked and wearing a funny hat but i wouldnt be able to pass myself off as a skilled or talented performer. Most people will just call it as they see it — and rightly so. Let’s resolve to appreciate art when it comes out of talent and mastery of skill. As such it succeeds in demonstrating what is truly great in the human experience. Simply devising something that is provocative and placing it in an unusual setting doesn’t tell us anything about our dreams, abilities, fantasies or what it means to be human. Though it gives some the pretense to act as though they are “cultured”. Good for them. #fingerpaintingrocksmysox
I would be embarressed paying someone 10 dollars an hour, in this day an age, professional dancers, public nudity, perhhaps if I was myself a struggling artist or choreographer, but Maria is not struggling or unknown or poor. I think it makes her look chintzy. Where is the sharing? Sure these dancers will get something to put on their resume, but what about real life compensation, a real life living wage, if only for a few hours. Just because there will always be someone out there more desperate for a few bucks does not rationalize paying them crap.
Just to clarify, obviously there was no actual fondling going on. The person who was auditioning was exaggerating. In the end, it was nothing kinky nor criminal, just kind of awkward, considering the current social climate. http://animalnewyork.com/2011/11/marina-abramovic…
Or so it seems from the outside. I wasn't there.