Marina Abramovic plans to start filming her “Seven Deaths” project this summer, 25 years after she first conceived the idea of playing her heroine, the opera singer Maria Callas. In the seven short videos, the artist takes on the role of Callas performing the death scenes of seven operas.
“I [have been] obsessed with this unbelievably romantic idea of dying for love,” Abramovic tells us. “It’s my story, but it’s definitely related to Callas and my complete craziness for her. She died of a broken heart.” So far, five leading film directors have agreed to collaborate with the artist: Roman Polanski, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Marco Brambilla, Giada Colagrande and Yorgos Lanthimos. Lars von Trier declined owing to a scheduling clash. All of Abramovic’s other engagements are being put on hold. The artist has tackled mortality before, but “Seven Deaths” may mark the end of her morbid streak. “When I finish ‘Seven Deaths’, I’m done with dying,” she says.
Originally appeared in The Art Newspaper as 'Marina Abramovic steps into Maria Callas’s shoes'