76 Marina Abramovic Quotes for You to Enjoy

Marina Abramovic

Serbian Artist

Born: Nov 30, 1946

Art Life Me People Work You

Related authors: Andy Warhol Claude Monet Edvard Munch Leonardo da Vinci Michelangelo Pablo Picasso Salvador Dali Vincent Van Gogh

You can't choreograph death, but you can choreograph your funeral. Marina Abramovic

Death You Your Choreograph Funeral

You know how you feel somebody looking at you, and you turn, and somebody actually is? It's the same at an art gallery. You're looking at one portrait, turn around, and there is a work of art directly behind you. Because it's all energy. Every single thing has energy. Marina Abramovic

Work Art You Somebody Looking Single Energy Every Directly Feel Know Because Around How Single Thing Same Behind Turn Gallery Actually Thing Portrait Every Single Thing

For me, performance is a holy ground. When I perform, I really step into a different state of consciousness. Marina Abramovic

Me State Step Perform Performance Different Holy Really Ground Consciousness

I am not a therapist. I am not a spiritual leader. These elements are in the art: it is therapeutic, spiritual, social and political - everything. It has many layers. But art has to have many layers. If it doesn't, then forget it. Marina Abramovic

Art Spiritual Political Leader Everything Layers Am Forget Social Then Therapeutic Therapist Many Elements

My grandmother, when she looked at American movies, she said, 'They're all the same. In the first scene somebody shoots somebody and then everybody makes phone calls.' Marina Abramovic

Phone Somebody First Everybody Phone Calls Scene Looked She Calls Makes Said American Same Shoots Movies American Movies Then Grandmother

When I was 14, I thought I looked terrible. I wore these typical Slavic shoes with metal bottoms so you could always hear me coming and this really ugly princess skirt and blouse with the top button closed. I had a boy haircut, a baby face covered with pimples, and a really big nose. Marina Abramovic

Me You Ugly Thought Face Big Shoes Closed Baby Typical Top Could Had Haircut Looked Princess Terrible Metal Boy Always Coming Pimples Hear Covered Nose Wore Really Skirt Button

I don't have tattoos, I have scars! Marina Abramovic

Scars Tattoos

I face so much jealousy, and I am incredibly upset about it. Marina Abramovic

Jealousy Face Incredibly About Am Upset Much

You know, everyone is always talking about plastic surgery, or the technology, what to do. I really think it's important to help yourself with the technology if you want to feel better, but I am absolutely against any kind of monstrous cuts of the body, lifting that is beyond recognition, this kind of stuff. Marina Abramovic

You Technology Yourself Better Important Think Everyone Monstrous Recognition Kind About Absolutely Lifting Feel Stuff Beyond Know Talking Always Am Surgery Any Want Against Cuts Really Body Help Plastic Plastic Surgery

From the very early stage when I started doing performance art in the '70s, the general attitude - not just me, but also my colleagues - was that there should not be any documentation, that the performance itself is artwork and there should be no documentation. Marina Abramovic

Attitude Art Me Stage Colleagues General Performance Performance Art Also Documentation Doing Itself Very Any Just Artwork Should Early Started

Today, our attention is less than the television advertisement. We're looking at six or seven problems constantly. We're living in the disturbed societies of cities. I think modern technology is one of the worst things human beings have invented. Marina Abramovic

Today Technology Problems Looking Living Think Our Seven Worst Television Cities Constantly Disturbed Invented Attention Advertisement Than Modern Six Human Human Beings Modern Technology Less Beings Things Societies

Yes, I believe stories are very important to all performances. The life story of the performer shapes their work, and the life stories of the audience alter how they receive the work, what they read into the performer. Marina Abramovic

Life Work Important Believe Life Story Shapes Performance Performer Alter Read Audience How Yes Very Stories Story Receive

When you have heartbreak, what's important is that you don't go halfway. Go all the way down. Don't take pills that keep you in limbo. Cry out all the feelings. Then your own energy for life will put you up again. You become stronger. Marina Abramovic

Life You Will Stronger Feelings Important Become Own Energy Down Way Out Take Put Cry Halfway Limbo Pills Go Up Heartbreak Again Then Your Keep

Once you live in New York, you can't live anywhere else. Living in Paris is like going in slow motion. It's so bourgeois. I get so bored. Marina Abramovic

You Slow Live Living Else Once Bored Slow Motion Paris New Like Bourgeois Motion Get York Going New York Anywhere Anywhere Else

An artist has to look at the future, to see what we can do better. Marina Abramovic

Future Better See Look Artist

Performance has to be mainstream art. This is what I'm fighting for. Marina Abramovic

Art Fighting Mainstream Performance

People ask why there are so few female artists who succeed. It's because women are not ready to sacrifice as much as men. Women want a man, they want a family, they want to have children, they want to be loved, and to be an artist. And they can't; it's impossible. Marina Abramovic

Family Man Women People Impossible Men Sacrifice Few Because Female Female Artists Ready Women Are Artist Artists Children Want Loved Succeed Ask Much Who Why

I really don't like art where you need to know so much theory to understand. If the theory is removed, it doesn't do anything. That means that this work is an illustration of theory, and I don't believe in the power of the work itself. Marina Abramovic

Work Art You Power Believe Illustration Like Know Understand Itself Where Anything Much Really Means Theory Need

Why am I not feminist? Maybe because I come from a country where my mother ruled my life. I never felt in any way that I couldn't achieve what I want. Marina Abramovic

Life Mother Achieve My Life Country Way Ruled Never Come Because Felt Am Feminist Any Maybe Where Want Why

I am plenty lonely in hotel rooms. Marina Abramovic

Lonely Plenty Hotel Hotel Rooms Am Rooms

Marina Abramovic Quotes

No more Marina Abramovic quotes