In 2013, Marina Abramovic adopted the unfamiliar role of the subject of the artwork rather than its creator, when the performance art pioneer posed for Matthew Placek’s 3-D immersive moving portrait installation.
Placek’s short films create an intimate encounter with artists in surroundings that carry a deep significance to each of them. Abramovic, his first subject, is depicted standing nude in what will become her eponymous institute in Hudson, New York. 130919 • A Portrait Of Marina Abramovic (2013) was shot in a single take, without dialogue.
Now the artwork will be shown at the Second Ward Foundation in Hudson, about 120 miles north of New York City, from June 10 to June 26, where it will be installed in the foundation’s repurposed elementary school headquarters.
Groups of four will be admitted to the installation in Second Ward’s auditorium every 15 minutes, where four individual “viewing stations” will provide a stereoscopic screening of the work.
Marina Abramovic, still from 130919 • A Portrait Of Marina Abramovic (2013). Courtesy Matthew Placek.
The reel is brought to life through a startlingly realistic depiction, resulting in a deeply personal experience that breaks down barriers between the subject and the viewer.
Through the significance of the film’s setting, the viewer is able to witness the artist’s legendary career come full circle, as Abramovic simultaneously stays true to her performance art roots and becomes the subject of a different artist’s work. At the same time, the film’s venue reflects on her past and looks to her future ambitions as an artist.
The film was first shown at Art Basel Miami Beach in December 2013, where it enjoyed critical acclaim. It was subsequently included in the official selection at numerous film festivals including the Sundance Film Festival’s “New Frontiers,” category the Toronto Film Festival and the AFI Festival in Los Angeles.
Marina Abramovic, still from130919 • A Portrait Of Marina Abramovic (2013). Courtesy Matthew Placek.
“130919 • A Portrait Of Marina Abramovic” runs from June 10 – June 26, 2016 at the Second Ward Foundation, Hudson, NY.