Good things come to those that wait, and that’s certainly true for the very hotly anticipated Marina Abramović exhibition at the Royal Academy this autumn (Sep 23-Jan 1, 2024). Originally scheduled for 2020, this unmissable survey of an art-world icon and performance art pioneer is set to astonish.
Live performance and audience interaction are a feature of the Serbian-born conceptual artist’s 50-year body of work, so expect the unexpected. One thing is sure – as each day is different, you need to see it for yourself, plus with a regularly changing roster of Abramović’s most famous works reperformed at the RA, it’s worth going multiple times. Bear in mind, if you are under 35, you can get unlimited free entry with a Young Friends membership (from £67) and bring a plus one every time, as just one of the benefits, and under 25s can access tickets for all exhibitions half-price. Nice one!
Of course, there’s more to see at the RA than just Marina Abramović this season. With an Impressionists exhibition, impressive sculptures and José Pizarro’s excellent tapas restaurant, the RA really is the place to be this autumn.
Here’s just a sample of the breathtaking experiences you’ll encounter on your visit…
Yep, it’s probably the one you’ve heard about – but experiencing it IRL is something else altogether. Choose which of the two nude performance artists flanking a doorway to face you as you pass through into the gallery. This powerful restaging of an early work from 1977 makes you question just how chill you really are with the naked body.
In The House with the Ocean View, witness a living installation as someone passes their time in the gallery all day, everyday for 12-day long stretches. When they’re not there, watch a projection of the artist herself from the original performance in 2002 – something that’s never been done before. It’s both a feat of endurance and a window into our own obsession with public and private spaces in the social media age.
The exhibition features sculpture, videos and archive footage as well as live performance, and you’ll have the chance to feel the intimacy of The Artist is Present in an immersive video installation. In 2010 at MoMA Abramović sat silently at a table in an extended performance, waiting as strangers took turns sitting in the chair opposite her. Hypnotic and impactful in its simplicity.
Well, crystal shoes anyway. Constructed entirely from the precious mineral, visitors are invited to try the unwieldy gemstone shoes for size in the interactive sculptural piece Shoes for Departure, a meditation on state and consciousness that encourages you to move with your mind while forced to stand still in weighty 70 kilo shoes.
There’s also the stunning ‘Impressionists on Paper: Degas to Toulouse-Lautrec’ (Nov 25-Mar 10, 2024) exhibition to explore, which while it has a more traditional take on art, is still showcasing how these renowned artists elevated works on paper to masterpiece status as the trailblazers of their time. You won’t want to leave empty-handed when you could stockpile awesome Christmas cards by kids from the Young Artists’ Summer Show, or kick back and relax with art and pintxos at José Pizarro’s Poster Bar on Friday nights.
So, don’t take our word for it – grab your chance to be part of something incredible at the RA. Just don’t try making off with any semi-precious stone shoes…
Book your tickets to Marina Abramović now (£25.50-£27.50) and learn more about the Royal Academy of Arts.
