“Documentation is misleading, because the performance is dead. So the very early works were not documented at all.” PerformancesMisleadDocumentationEarly Work Author:Marina Abramovic
“When I did "Seven Easy Pieces," I actually re-performed the performances of other artists. It was such difficult work because I had to really go through the documentation, look through the sources, to ask the witnesses who saw it.” LooksArtistAsksEasyDifficultSawsPiecesSourcePerformancesSevenWitnessDocumentationDifficult Work Author:Marina Abramovic
“You know the movie "Rashomon" from [Takeshi] Kurosawa, when all the people in the forest see something different? Each performance was like that.” PeopleKnowsDifferentPerformancesForestsKurosawa Author:Marina Abramovic
“When I first had a video camera to document a performance, it was in Sweden and I remember it was really crucial for me.” FirstsRememberPerformancesCamerasVideoCrucialDocumentsSwedenVideo Cameras Author:Marina Abramovic
“I didn't give any instruction to the video, because it was a new medium. I didn't know what to tell him; it was so young. I did the piece and immediately after the piece, I wanted to see the material.” KnowsGivingWantedYoungPiecesMaterialsVideoMediumsInstruction Author:Marina Abramovic
“Zooming in, zooming out. I was shocked. I said, "Let's erase this right now, put the camera behind the stage and I'll do the performance just for the camera." He set up everything and I told him to go outside and smoke a cigarette. Come back when I finish. Don't touch the camera. This was the way how I've done most everything after that.” WaySaidDoneBehindsStageRight NowPerformancesCamerasSmokeCigaretteShockedEraseBack When Author:Marina Abramovic
“I had such an intense relationship to every person. I still see people on the street and we lock eyes, and say "Oh my god!" and we just kiss and stay like that and sometimes cry.” PeoplePersonsStillsSometimesEyeStreetsCryKissingIntenseLocks Author:Marina Abramovic
“Typically, the performance has a story - a beginning, the crescendo and the end.” EndsStoriesPerformancesCrescendo Author:Marina Abramovic
“The complete absence of the story - that was the best thing about this whole thing, because you know that nothing's going to happen and everything's going to happen. It's just the gaze. You create your own zone.” KnowsWholeStoriesHappensAbsenceBest ThingsZone Author:Marina Abramovic