The Artist is Present - Marina Abramovic

without you pressing my nerves may I ask you 'what is this life?' intricately untangle every fibre set me down a moment can serenity be practiced unravel connections isolate and remove expectations ask me 'what is life?' sit with me, still let forever wait in the wings meet my eye reflect my humanity extinguish flames of thought consume my longing in essence ~ breathe me in could we ever transcend gifting our entire selves hoping to matter while all constants shift nothing but moments ever matter eyes met observers stood time ended the grasp now just into empty space contemplation is a death stare the moments are counted ~ should they be mourned ~ now blind to how they occurred cautiously shutting eyes to ever afters cradle me until I'm stronger shut me off in-between wakefulness I fear I'll suffocate in the hours of dead air when I awake to exist again, tell me you loved me More about the artist and installation: One of the attendees was unexpectedly her ex lover and former art collaborator that she hadn't seen since they had used an art performance that had been intended to be their wedding but had ended up being the end of their relationship. They hadn't seen each other for 22 years. They had planned to walk from separate ends of the great wall of china and meet in the middle to marry but the permission took nearly 8 years to obtain, by which time their relationship had broken down and the event instead marked the end of their romantic and artistic 12 year relationship. Marina Abramovic and Ulay Laysiepen's art collaborations were intense, boundary-pushing, and deeply personal, exploring themes of trust, endurance, physical and emotional limits, gender dynamics, and the tension between individuality and unity. Their performances often involved extreme physicality, prolonged endurance, and deep psychological vulnerability. The "Artist is Present" installation also was very impactful on many of those who participated. Bringing many to tears at feeling seen.