Marina Abramović walks China’s Great Wall only to break up
June 18, 2022

Marina Abramovic – The Lovers: The Great Wall Walk (still), 1988/2008, performed for 90 days along The Great Wall of China. 16mm film transferred to two-channel video

Marina Abramović’s & Ulay’s preparation for the project

Artists Marina Abramovic and Ulay are known in many parts of the world as the lovers whose relationship ended at the Great Wall of China.

Initially, when the couple planned the trip, they intended to get married at the center of the wall. However, it was years later when the couple finally acquired all the authorization required from the Chinese government and were able to raise funds for the project.

Sadly, by then, the couple’s 12-year relationship has crumbled, and what started as a marriage celebration turned into last goodbyes for the couple.

The Lovers: The Great Wall Walk

Abramovic would start walking the wall from the east, while Ulay would start from the west. It would take three months for the couple to meet in the middle, where they would break up and go their separate ways. The couple titled the piece The Lovers.

The couple had planned to be the first people to walk the entirety of the Great Wall. However, they were beaten to the punch by a Chinese railway clerk.

Why does this work matter?

The piece is still talked about today because it was tragically poetic. Throughout creating the project, both the subjects must have experienced tremendous levels of emotion and intimacy levels.

The pair had shared a certain level of intimacy when the project started. However, by the end of it, that intimacy had to be dissolved, which was done with an affectionate hug. The fact that the project was profoundly emotional and physically tasking made it more impactful and meaningful.

Analysis

Because of the piece, audiences were forced to evaluate how geography and temporal distance can affect life. This piece, which was performed in 1988, helped to unbound the limits of conventional theatrical practice.
The Lovers turned out to be pioneering, passionate and extremely powerful. The couple’s extraordinary relationship, which lasted from 1976 to 1988, will live on forever.

Aftermath

Since the release of The Lovers, both artists are well known in many parts of the world. However, it is Abramovic that has managed to attain critical acclaim. Her 2010 retrospective at the MoMA in New York helped to consolidate her status in the world. This, and an HBO documentary, celebrity friends such as Lady Gaga and Jay Z, as well as a series of commercials, have allowed her to become a household name.

Ulay, on the other hand, continued with art. The pair was the subject of controversy once more after disagreeing about profits from their collaborations.

Artists Marina Abramovic and Ulay are known in many parts of the world as the lovers whose relationship ended at the Great Wall of China. Initially, when the couple planned the trip, they intended to get married at the center of the wall. However, it was years later when the couple finally acquired all the authorization required from the Chinese government and were able to raise funds for the projected. Sadly, by then, the couple’s 12-year relationship has crumbled and what started out as a marriage celebration turned into last goodbyes for the couple. The couple had planned to be the first people to walk the entirety of the Great Wall, however, they were beaten to the punch by a Chinese railway clerk.

(extracted from publicdelivery (dot) org/

The Lovers, The Great Wall (Marina Abramovic & Ulay, 1988-2008).mkv

General
Container:  	Matroska
Runtime: 	1 h 4 min
Size: 	173 MiB
Video
Codec: 	x264
Resolution: 	480x360 
Aspect ratio:  	4:3
Frame rate: 	25.000 fps
Bit rate: 	244 kb/s
BPP: 	0.056
Audio
#1:  	2.0ch AAC LC @ 128 kb/s

https://nitro.download/view/5916AD926100FF4/The_Lovers,_The_Great_Wall_(Marina_Abramovic_&_Ulay,_1988-2008).mkv

Language(s):English
Subtitles:None

The post Marina Abramovic & Ulay – The Lovers, The Great Wall (1988-2008) first appeared on Cinema of the World.

Relation Work, 1976-1979: 14 performances
Contents: Relation in space — Talking about similarity — Breathing in, breathing out — Imponderabilia — Expansion in space — Relation in movement — Relation in time — Light/Dark — Balance proof — AAA-AAA — Incision — Kaiserschnitt — Charged space — Three.

Performance art pieces illustrating art in confrontation with life and the individual versus the universal by early performance artists, Ulay and Marina Abramovic. 1996. 148 min.

violent. infuriating. hypnotic. arresting.

the isprobably the single most important collection of historical performance art

quality is acceptable. 14 performances.

2 1/2 hours long

1.65GB | 2 h 28 min | 640 x 480 | avi

https://nitro.download/view/90257FCEAD31C10/Abramovic_Ulay_Relation_Work(1976-1979).mov

Language:English
Subtitles:None

The post Marina Abramovic & Ulay – Relation Work (1976 – 1979) first appeared on Cinema of the World.