Photo: Francesco Pierantoni from Bologna, Italy / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Marina Abramović is one of those artists who makes you rethink what art even is — because she uses her own body as the medium, and she does not flinch. Born in Belgrade in 1946, she came up through the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb and went on to redefine performance art on a global scale. "The Artist Is Present" at MoMA in 2010 — where she sat silently across from strangers for hours, day after day — was the kind of work that sounds simple on paper and is absolutely devastating in person. She has spent decades pushing endurance and presence to places most people would never go, and the world has noticed: the Austrian Decoration for Science and Art, the Princess of Asturias Award, the 2023 Sonning Prize. At nearly 80, she is still one of the most singular figures in contemporary art, and I find that genuinely thrilling.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Marina Abramović
- Name (Japanese)
- マリーナ・アブラモヴィッチ
- Reading
- まりーな・あぶらもゔぃっち
- Born
- November 30, 1946 (age 79)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Dog
- Origin
- Belgrade, Kingdom of Hungary
- Occupation
- performance artist / photographer / video artist / sculptor / sound artist
2. Background
- University
- Academy of Fine Arts, University of Zagreb
Awards & achievements
- 2008 Austrian Decoration for Science and Art
- 2012 Berliner Bär
- Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts
- 2023 Sonning Prize
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Seven Easy Pieces | — | |
| Notable work | Art must be beautiful… Artist must be beautiful… | — | |
| Notable work | The Artist Is Present | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Marina Abramović born?
Born November 30, 1946 (age 79).
Where is Marina Abramović from?
Marina Abramović is from Belgrade, Kingdom of Hungary.
What does Marina Abramović do?
Marina Abramović works as performance artist, photographer, video artist, sculptor, sound artist.
What is Marina Abramović known for?
Notable works include Seven Easy Pieces, Art must be beautiful… Artist must be beautiful…, The Artist Is Present.
Photographer — see all → · More people from Kingdom of Hungary →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.