| 53 tija njihovih žena, tamo se razvijao novi vid umetnosti, konceptualan. Iz tog perioda najpoznatiji je Marinin performans Ritam 5, u kojem je legla u zapaljenu petokraku i zamalo se ugušila. „Onesvestila sam se od dima i plamen je već bio zahvationogu kad je reagovao jedan lekar iz publike“, otkrila je Marina svoju žrtvu zarad razračunavanja sa istorijom. Opšte je poznat i rad Ritam 0, koji je naša zvezda izvela u Napuljuponudivši posetiocima galerije 72 predmeta da njima na njoj rade sve što požele. Isprva stegnuti, tokom šest časova, oni su bili sve razuzdaniji. „Sekli su mi odeću, povređivali me žiletom, stavljali mi pištolj u šaku da vide da li ću smeti da pucam u sebe“, pričala je Marina. Da bi sve to emotivno preživela, anestezirala je svoju svest. Po završetkuperformansa publika se razbežala. „Niko nije hteo da sa mnomkrvavom i polugolomkomunicira“, što je Marini palo teško. Ali je nama ostavila da razlučimo da li su se posetioci postideli svojih postupaka ili izašli iz transa, baš kao i ona. Tada je odlučila da nadalje provocira samopozitivne emocije, a svoj život više ne rizikuje. Ipak je i dalje težila ekstremima izdržljivosti, pa su ona i Ulaj u jednom radu satima jedno drugom upućivali kritike. U želji da i mi osetimo deo energije performansa Marina nam je zadala vežbicu, da pustimo glas iz sve snage. Nisam se štedela, pa sam se na kraju rasplakala. Šta se sa njima desilo tokom i posle višečasovnog urlanja, nisam mogla ni da pretpostavim. The fact that the world’s top star of performanceart,MarinaAbramović, was born and raised in the capitalofSerbia–thenYugoslavia–determined her life and career. That’s because “The Balkans is a bridge between East and West, and winds always blow across bridges thatonehas toresist,”shesaid, explaining whyshehassuchradicalism,dedicationand aspirationstopushtheboundariesthat“compel an artist to top quality in what they do”. Andtheveryopportunitytoexpressthis was special. Marina held the lecture under the auspices of the retrospective exhibition “TheCleaner”at theMuseumofContemporary Art in Belgrade, addressing thousands ofvisitors“who’dneverexperiencedasingle artist before,”as shepointedout jubilantly. I, on theother hand,was among the fewwho hadthegoodfortune toconversepersonally with the artist. That was 15 years ago, when she came to Belgrade to donate 20,000 dollars to the NikolaTeslaMuseuminorder todigitise the legacy of this genius of science. I sawher at the premiere of some forgotten play at the YugoslavDramaTheatreandcouldn’tbelieve at rst that itwasher.That’sbecauseshewas dressed modestly, in simple espadrille at shoes – not the way stars look according to most people’s beliefs, mine included. I interviewedher forafull threehoursat Belgrade’sMajesticHotel,whereshewasstaying, but technology conspired against me: my dictaphone didn’t record even a tenth of theconversations,whichIonlyrealisedto myhorror later.However, everythingMarina spoke about remained in my livingmemory, especiallyhercharisma, the likesofwhich onerarelyencounters. Itwaswiththat same charismathatshecharmedthemostlyyoung audience at the lecture, so applause could oftenbeheard resoundingaround thepark at Ušće, the con uence. Impatiente to express everything she hadtosay,Marinawantedtoexplainthecircumstances inwhichherartemerged–family, personal and social circumstances. She was born in 1946 to Partizan parents Danica andVojin, while her great-unclewas SerbianPatriarchVarnava.Consideringthather parentswerepreoccupiedwiththeirowncareers,Marinawasraisedbyhergrandmother, whotookher tochurch,whichwascontrary to the communist rules of the time. “I watched how believers entering the templedippedtheir ngers inthebowlwith holywaterbeforecrossingthemselves. Itthen occurred tome that I wouldbecome a saint if Idrankall thatwater,”saidMarina, laughing ather former self. Shedrankthatwater insecretanddidn’tbecomeholy,but rather fell ill. Sheexpressedherde anceofher strict motherbypaintingherroomwithblackshoe polish,whichresultedinherreceivingaharsh beating.Achildhoodwithout tendernessor wordsofpraisemadeMarinasteelyandprovidedthefoundationsofherdesiretobecome an artist. “I chose performance art because it provides the closest contact with the audience,” she told me at the Majestic at that time, and to me that meant that she’d remained forever desiring love. SherevealedtotheaudienceatUšćethat this little roomwas also her rst studio, describingher rst painting lesson. A friendof her father, thepainter FiloFilipović, brought some straw, glue, oil paints and turpentine, placed it all on a sheet paper and then set it on re.“He toldme‘this is a sunset’and left”. This dramatic artistic act remained etched in the memory of the then 14-year-old girl. And taught her that theprocess ismore important than the results. In a desire to convey to the local audiencetheEasternphilosophyshehadadopted, withsolitudeanddailymeditation,Marinaofferedakindofworkshop in the scopeof the setting. Sheplacedapileof black andwhite rice in themiddle of a long table, for visitors to separate and count the grains. And then she returnedbothpiles totheoriginal heap, conquering peace at least brie y. Western in uence left toodeepamark onmepersonally, soIwasmoreintriguedby the secondperformance, calledDirect Contact. Standing at the entrance to one segmentof theexhibitionwereanakedgirl and a young man, whom you had to touch in
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