Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present
Contemporary Art Non-Fiction Picture Book Art Monograph Performance Art Museum Studies Visual Culture European Art History
Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present is the definitive MoMA catalogue that captures the 2010 blockbuster retrospective of the world’s most celebrated performance artist. Published by the Museum of Modern Art and packaged in an oversized 12.3" × 9.8" hardcover, this 224-page visual chronicle documents the three-month marathon in which Abramović sat motionless for 736½ hours, inviting visitors to share silent eye contact across a simple wooden table. Every photograph, exhibition diagram, and candid shot reveals how the show became a global cultural moment—transforming museum-goers into living artworks and redefining how institutions present performance art.
Collectors and curators prize this volume for its authoritative, behind-the-scenes content: essays by Klaus Biesenbach and Jovana Stokić, never-before-published archival images, a full chronology of Abramović’s career from Belgrade to Broadway, and fold-out gatefolds that replicate the scale of the original installation. The book’s generous page size and lush illustration program let readers study the subtle shifts in posture, costume, and audience reaction that turned stillness into spectacle, making it an essential reference for anyone researching endurance art, European performance history, or contemporary museum practice.
This gently-loved first edition shows only light shelf wear—minor scuffs to the jacket and a small bottom-edge dent that keeps it priced within reach of students and seasoned collectors alike. Pages remain crisp, unmarked, and tightly bound, ensuring the book displays beautifully on a coffee table or in a research library. With Abramović’s work now commanding major retrospectives worldwide, this MoMA catalogue is both a scholarly document and a sought-after art object—perfect for anyone who wants to own a tangible piece of the performance that made history.
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