Ever since Marina Abramovic’s collaboration with partner Ulay came to an end, in 1988, she has made it quite abundantly clear with whom the talent lay; indeed her solo career has been even richer than their previous heritage. The works’ erotics and body-politics have dimmed somewhat with maturity and been replaced by an entirely convincing spiritual-mystic dimension which manages to just skirt New Age pomp while embracing holistic science and metaphoric landscapes worthy of Tarkovsky. For this exhibition, Abramovic will be living for 12 long days within a set of purpose-built structures in the gallery while obeying a whole sequence of self-imposed strictures, all to be witnessed by the visiting audience. Visitors will also be able to participate in this piece, or echo it, by themselves spending one strictly regulated hour on her “Dream bed” sculpture (above). There is also a luscious, if minimal, video accurately entitled “Stromboli” in which Abramovic catches some kip on the seashore of that self-same island (until 21 December).
Originally appeared in The Art Newspaper as 'Marina Abramovic: The house with the ocean view'