All By Myself

Sydney Harbour Bridge from Lavender Bay

Sydney Opera House from The Sydney Harbour Bridge with two Sydney Ferries in the foreground.

Sydney Harbour Bridge overlooking Walsh Bay Pier 2/3

Marina Abramovic visits Sydney. 

And I visited Marina Abramovic's space.

This was not an exhibition in a technical sense.

It was an experience.

A mind altering experience.  

At least this is how I perceived it.

After surrendering all belongings at the entry and being issued sound cancelling headphones, one could choose to participate in a number of activities, such as separating black mung beans from rice then counting them, contemplating coloured boards or sitting opposite another person in silence.

I listened to Natalie Abbott speak and watched some of her performance which included telepathically instructing a dance sequence to three fellow artists. 

Eventually I realised what Marina's work is all about...the whole point of the project. 

Participating IS the project, performing the activities is experiencing activities devised by Marina (the artist).

Marina's message, I think, is about endurance...how much can our body endure, how much can our mind endure.   

And when we push ourselves to endure a little more, aren't we pushed to achieve just a little more than before? 

Doesn't endurance make us stronger, better, faster?
I was converted to Marina some years ago after watching her in her documentary called The Artist Is Present.  

Aspects of Marina's life and art shocked me when I first viewed them, but by the end I was drawn to her, her mindfulness, her spiritually, her individuality.

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