1) What are some of your first impressions of Marina Abramovic’s performance works, based on the documentary? Use an image/example of one or two works to describe aspects you admire, and aspects you might agree are problematic.
She seems to be very in touch with the way she feels things and able to represent them through her performances. Like I think she has this great capability of communicating emotion or life experience with abstract presentation, and maybe that for her is the only way it can be communicated.
I really liked the walk Marina did with Ulay where they spent 90 days moving toward each other. it’s something to be said about that dedication, and ultimately knowing that after all that walking you will eventually be reunited with the one you love. not thinking of giving up and sacrificing their comfort for the other. and after going through that process ending it by getting married. though they didn’t stay together, i still think it’s beautiful that two human beings shared that kind of experience with one another, and get to add it to their collection of moments. but for me i don’t know if i see any of her work as problematic from what i’ve seen so far. you could see some acts as overly sexual and sinful because of self mutilation, but if this is the way in which the artist chooses to create or perform they have that right. as well, people have this fear of the human body, and in some instances it can be contextually sexual, but the human form needs to be less taboo and understood when theres different contexts. this goes for more aspects in life too, people often ignore context and assume the intention is always the same. my disdain would only be dictated by others opinions, and ultimately wouldn’t matter anyway because the artist gets to decide.
2) What have you learned about features of performance art based on Abramovic’s work? Name a few key features according to here examples. Include an image to illustrate. Consider her quote: “when you perform it is a knife and our blood, when you act it is a fake knife and ketchup.”
It seems that in performance art, the ones involved can get so deeply involved in the performance that they don’t process what they’re putting themselves through. they become so entangled with the performance that they just embody art, or maybe life itself. in a way they are in a state of flow, and it could become meditative. it is free from all worry or care about the way in which society forces us to behave.
with her performance the artist is present, not only is she sitting in a chair across from whoever takes the seat, she is present. she came with the intention of giving all her attention to those who sit across from her. and remains seated for the entire showing, no distractions and nothing else planned. if you were to sit across from her you would see her, and she would see you. with no words exchanged, unspoken stories get told with how you carry yourself. if you get uncomfortable after some time, if you start crying, if you smile. all of these are reactions to being noticed and seen, and your past experiences through lack of attention, or too much of it can elicit a response inside of you that you will feel. and sitting there, if you allow yourself to be fully present, will make you realize things about yourself you’ve been ignoring.
My name is Julianna, and I am a second year student in the BCAHW (Bachelor of Creative Arts Health & Wellness) program! I chose this program because I was torn between studio/fine arts and psychology, and I thought that this degree was a really cool blend. ‘I’m a really big reader and I love disappearing into a good book. I love writing, painting and going hiking to cool spots with friends.
Documentary Response
After watching the documentary surrounding the life and work of Marina Abramović, I felt thoroughly shocked. Every piece of her art pushed the human body and mind past the point of exhaustion. She had several audiovisual works spread throughout the gallery exhibition, as well as other artists, whose job was to recreate Marinas pervious works. The most impactful piece in my opinion, was having the two artists fully nude, standing in a doorway. Only the brave could pass though, and even they might have felt uncomfortable. I thought this was a really successful piece. I can however understand how this might be slightly controversial. People don’t always like feeling uncomfortable, and this particular piece could strike up the debate of “is this even art?”. These facts aside, I believe that this piece communicated something deep from within the artists soul.
There were a lot of interesting things about performance art depicted in this documentary. I think the level that Marina, Ulay, and all of the hired artists, went to to achieve their desired outcome was much further than I anticipated. There was a clear goal in Marinas mind, that was unclear to her audience, but they were willing to play ball.
”1 km forest”
Leaf walks have been a huge part of my life, and they change a little bit every season. Spring and summer tends to turn into “flower walks” or even “stick walks”, and this was always a way my mom kept me busy as a little kid. When I was younger, it was something we could do together, and take a break to ground ourselves in the midst of our busy schedules. When she passed away, I stopped going on these walks for a little while, because there was no one to hold all the little things I found in her pockets. I realized that whenever I was feeling stressed I just really wanted to go on a walk, but for a while I couldn’t bear to collect things as I went. I recently starting finding really beautiful leaves near my new house, and I decided to pick them up and take them home with me.
Hi, my name is Paige! I am a second-year Studio Arts major and Music minor. I chose this program because art and music are my biggest passions. To me, nothing is more exiting than being able to teach these subjects in my future. Some interesting facts about me are that I love pretty much anything to do with art(all medias) and I LOVE cats.
Hi! My name is Olivia Olena Cichon. I transferred from Sheridan College, where I studied Visual and Creative Arts for two years, and then came to Guelph after graduation to gain more experience in the arts. I chose the Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art program to continue my learning and skills.
Reflection Question:
“Why did you decide to take this program? What do you hope it helps you do or become”
When I hit grade 9, I had an art teacher who changed my perspective on my career choices; not only did she inspire me, but she also gave me the confidence to walk the path she walked. I went to Sheridan College to gain more experience in my art and then go into my bachelor’s. My hope is to one day enrol myself in teacher’s college and hope that one day I can inspire a student or two the way I was.
The Artist Is Present
Marina Abramovic
Reflection:
When watching the documentary, my emotions were spiraling from Disturbed to confused, then feeling sad. I didn’t see how sitting in a chair completely still for 3 months straight was art. Until I saw the bigger picture.
When she started on the first day, I didn’t understand, but as more and more days went on, I felt it. The piece wasn’t about her; it was about the people who sat in front of her. It was the eyes – the expression – the furrowed eyebrows – tension that many people don’t realize we hold in our faces.
From years of putting up an invisible wall, but what Marina was doing, in my perspective. She was breaking down people’s walls; you can see their rigid posture become slack and calm. Some let out tears; some were angry, etc. It was a beautiful piece, and I believe one of her most emotional ones.
What are some of your first impressions of Marina Abramovic’s performance works, based on the documentary? Use an image/example of one or two works to describe aspects you admire and aspects you might agree are problematic.
The work that stuck with me most was Rhythm 0, the piece where she stood still for six hours and let the audience do whatever they wanted to her using 72 objects laid out on a table, including a rose, a feather, a scalpel, and a loaded gun. Watching people go from gentle (placing a flower in her hand) to genuinely cruel (cutting her clothes, cutting her skin) over the course of a single evening was one of the more disturbing things I’ve sat through. What I admire about it is how honest it is. She didn’t design an experiment to prove a comfortable point about human nature; she designed one that could go badly, and let it. That’s a kind of bravery I don’t think I fully appreciated before.
The Artist is Present hits me differently quieter, less violent, but somehow just as intense. Three months of sitting in a chair, silently making eye contact with strangers, one at a time. What I love about it is that the “art” is almost nothing: a chair, a table, a gaze, and yet people wept. It made me think about how much of a performance art isn’t really about the performer doing something to an audience, but about what the audience brings into the space with them.
Assignment 1KM
Reflection/Idea:
It was hard to think of what to do for an assignment that gives so much freedom, especially when that freedom is 1KM. At first, I wanted to walk Stone Rd and map out what restaurants or stores I saw on my path, but when I walked the road, I learned that everywhere my eyes trailed, I saw bars all over the place. So I decided to draw a map and pinpoint all of the bars and count them as I went.
The 1KM stopped me at the Delta Hotel & Bar Mason on Stone Rd, which counted as the 8th bar I saw, and that’s only on Stone Rd.
It shows not only that there are so many bars on one street alone, but also that a street is significantly popular with University Students walking along that road almost every day. The bars promote drinking and getting under the influence. While studies are the main priorty its hard to get on track and lock in when your friends want to go out and drink, and it’s easily accessible.
THE MATERIALS I USED
Paper
Acrylic Markers
Black pen/Pencil
Olivia Cichon, Stroll On Stone RD. 2026
I chose to do a physical drawing of a map because when I was in Sheridan College, not only did I do something quite similar, but I loved the assignment. I wanted to represent a similar medium, but instead of painting, I used acrylic marker.
From the map, you can see all the bars so close-knit together, to the point where I was even surprised by how many there really were. I have photos of all the bars I saw; most of them I didn’t take a photo of, but I did document them on my map.
Beer Town Public House
Montana’s BBQ & Bar
Milestones Grill and Bar
In Conclusion:
All of these companies sell alcohol, and yet, you can find a bar within a 20 feet radias. That’s (6 meters). While doing this walk, I found that my mind drifted off while I was strolling down the road; I saw many students on campus at night in party outfits (ON A SCHOOL NIGHT). I have no clue how they do it, and yet they do, and we can guarantee they’re either going to bars on Stone Rd or downtown Guelph.
Hi! I’m Leah and I am a second year student in Creative Arts, Health and Wellness. After school I would like to be an art therapist either in the cancer wing of a hospital or in hospice. I’m taking this course in hopes to challenge my creativity and to become more confident in thinking outside of the box, not only in art but also in my practices.
Assignment 1 – A KM
An Endless Stroll – Leah Nelsons
The Beginning Idea
During the brainstorm, the first idea was to have a map of where I walked the kilometre next to a grid of screenshots that I took from all the reels I watched on my walk. Later on I thought the addition of a video of me walking while on my phone would look cool placed in the centre of the two images (as shown to the right). However, as we were watching the documentary on Marina Abramovic, I decided that the whole thing was far too complicated and didn’t leave enough room for interpretation.
Rough Draft - Brainstorm
By leaving it simple, my hope is if this were to be displayed outside of the classroom, viewers could have the freedom to interpret the artwork themselves and not have me spell it out for them.
The Process
I walked a km on a trail behind my house and while I did that, I screen-recorded the reels I was watching and by the end of the one kilometre it came to around 15 minutes. I did my best to keep track of how far I was walking by using my apple watch. As I walked through the forest, I could feel my attention getting sucked more and more into my phone and some point my mind reached a point of numbness. On the walk back, I put away my phone and realized there was so much of the natural beauty of the forest that I had missed. Not only that, but my mind felt clearer.
The Making and Thoughts Behind the Piece
For the final product, I didn’t use the entire recordings of the reels because I wanted them to be flashing quickly, because they are often kept short to keep us engaged.
The video is in loop format because personally I don’t have a concept of time and it’s super easy for me to get stuck in a spiral of “I should put my phone down” and “just one more video” and then all of a sudden, an hour or two have passed.
I’ve been passionate about photography for as long as I can remember. I am always the one at family events taking all the pictures and constantly holding a camera in my hand. Since photography is such a huge part of my life, I decided that for my 1-kilometre assignment, I would measure my life in photos. For part 1 of my assignment, I went on a hike with my dad and captured as many photos as I could. This walk was a 2km loop (so 1 km out and 1km back). I took 28 photos, each one showing a little part of the hike that brought me joy.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I will always appreciate taking photos on my phone, but there is something about taking pictures with my camera that makes every moment feel a little more special. Right now, the camera I love to use and take everywhere with me is my Sony ax5000. This particular camera has a 6.17 inches wide by 3.21 inches high screen. If you divide that by how many inches there are in a kilometre, you will get 6,381, and that is how many photos it will take to make a kilometre. Having only had this camera for a year and a half, I have officially taken over 8043 photos, and of those photos, I have created an album along the way of my favorites. In this album, there are so many moments of my life, from exciting to disappointing, with family or even just enjoying some alone time. But each one, to me, was worth taking a picture of. Photos are a representation of memories, moments in your life that you want to remember. Many of these pictures in my album show what makes me who I am. Often I like to scroll back through old photos just to see how far I’ve come. I consider us so lucky to live in a lifetime where we are able to capture these photos to look back on and realise that even the smallest moments can become some of the most meaningful memories.
A little about me! I am in the Creative Arts, Health and Wellness program, I love the summer time, you will always find me on the water! I want to become a High school art teacher after I finish this program & a little fun fact I have a diploma in Interior Design from Fanshawe collage!
A third year student enrolled in the Creative Arts, Health, and Wellness program. I transferred from Fanshawe College’s Fine Arts program. My goal is to become an Art Therapist who specializes in trauma and spirituality.
ARTWORK THEMES: living with disabilities, healing, transformation, spirituality MEDIUMS: digital illustration + animation, gestural abstraction painting, abstract wooden sculpting and musical instrument making (HARPS)–which is an endangered crafting skill!!! https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/categories-of-risk/ INTERESTS: Nature, history, baking, games (Stardew Valley, Baldur’s Gate 3, Mario Kart)
____________________________________________
KILOMETRE ASSIGNMENT
Julie Cracknell, Acid’s Crackle, 2026, digital animation, 1920p x 1080p
YouTube link is below if the embedded media is not working. Sadly, it’s a lower quality compared to the source material.
ARTS & SCIENCE
My animation conveys 1 kilometre with the combination of the visual of a lightning strike and the delayed audio of the thunder.
The sound of the thunder plays at 2 seconds and 27 frames after the flash of light on the screen, showing the amount of time it would take for the sound of the thunder to travel one kilometre from its point of origin to the listener.
The reason frames are relevant is because I was using Adobe Premiere Pro to edit, and time code is written in the format of Hours:Minutes:Seconds:Frames; the flash happened at 00:00:02:00 and the sound plays at 00:00:04:27. Since my video is in 30 fps, 27 frames is equal to 0.9 seconds. (30 x 0.9= 27)
IDEA
When brainstorming for ideas I glanced into my closet at wooden harp that I made last year (see below). Then I asked myself, “How fast does sound travel?” After exploring ideas of playing my harp live, I also asked myself; do I preform live or do I film; or do I want to visually show the idea to people in a different way? Then the idea of a lightning animation came to mind.
Julie Cracknell, Soothing Sugarwind, 2025, maple wood + metal harp string kit
MEDIA
Being there was no thunderstorms currently in our area to record, I had to come up with an idea of how to convey my concept. Animation felt like the best way to do this with the time and materials I had available.
I didn’t want to use a royalty free video of a lightning strike because it lacked my artist fingerprint. There needed to be something visual that said something about me. (I LOVE TREES ♥) So, I created a flat layered image that was inspired by Japanese wood block printing.
TROUBLESHOOTING It was my intention to create this whole project with the program Clip Studio Paint Pro. It’s similar to Photoshop, but is geared more towards illustration, comic book design, and animation. After I had created the background image, I was ready to animate the lightning strike, or so I thought. The animation timeline was not allowing me to extend the video’s duration. It was stuck on frame 24! If I cannot create more keyframes, I cannot draw animation still images.
After a frustrating amount of time, I finally found the answer online. There are three versions of the program: Debut, Pro, EX. I had Pro. EX was the version that allowed you to animate longer than 24 frames. Which equals to one second if your video settings are 24 frames per second. Not enough time for the lightning animation and sound delay considering the math I did above.
After consulting my wife, she recommended that I use Premier Pro to animate it. I was so disappointed and angry with myself that I could not animate it the way I originally wanted to. My wife reminded me that I had to take it easy on my mind and body this week. Listening to her sage advice I locked in and was successfully able to finish my project!
____________________________________________
Marina Abramović The Artist is Present
1. What are some of your first impressions of Marina Abramovic’s performance works, based on the documentary? Use an image/example of one or two works to describe aspects you admire, and aspects you might agree are problematic?
When I was first exposed to Marina’s work her performance art didn’t connect with me at all. Like with all art mediums, not everyone is attracted your art style or is able to understand your message. Her performances evoked emotions of unease, sadness, and a little confusion. Generally, that’s not the type of art I enjoy or look for.
Marina Abramović and Ulay, Imponderabilia, 1977/2010
Yes, I understand that for Imponderabilia that was the point. Allowing people squeeze between Marina and Ulay’s nude bodies puts people in an uncomfortable situation physically, mentally, and emotionally. It was a simple yet powerful performance from both of them. I respected the bravery and appreciated the ingenuity. However, it wasn’t the type of art that resonates with me.
Her past works may seem problematic because often the visuals are so striking that people get caught up in that and are unable to process anything else. The public sees nudity and assumes the artist doesn’t have the same morals or ethics are they do. Thus, their message is not worth listening to. It’s a little sad, because there is a lot you can discuss about her work. Such as her choice of medium (herself), the setting, intended message versus received, and the objectification of the female body.
After watching The Artist is Present a few times, I asked myself, “How would I feel if my past partner did that during my performance?” My emotional reaction was similar to Marina’s—well I assume a little—looking at her subtle facial expressions. The surprise, joy, grief, gratitude, and pain. All the memories flooding back at once would be overwhelming.
Marina Abramović, The Artist is Present, 2009 Marina Abramović, red dress, two chairs and table (Ulay sitting on the right)
2. Discuss the ways performance art resists many museum and commercial artworld conventions. How does Abramovic solve/negotiate some of these challenges, and do you find these compromises add to, or undermine the ideas at play in her work?
Marina’s is able to resist traditional museum and commercial artworld conventions because her work does not have a lasting physical presence. Her performance with her body is the work in the moment it is presented. It cannot be easily bought, auctioned, or revisited like a collectable on display at a museum.
She negotiates these challenges by having herself be filmed, photographed, and documented. Thus, allowing her performance to have a longer stage presence. This gives her work an opportunity to be viewed by a larger audience. Plans like these help document the spontaneity of the moment that would otherwise have no evidence of existing.
I think there is a little play with her work with how its main attraction is to be seen in person for a limited time, while also being documented. Her art seems to resist control by the very institutions she often performs in. It causes the viewer to stop, think, and question trained thought patterns, and I enjoy that.
Hi everyone! I’m a (nearly) 21 year old second year student from California studying Studio Art with a minor in SXGN. I use she/he pronouns, and am mixed race, queer, trans, disabled, and neurodivergent. I love illustrating and breaking rules with art, and try to implement as many of my alternative and queer ideas into my art. My goal in life is to be a character designer for video games.
Hi, I am a second-year student majoring in Studio Art and Psychology. I am taking this course because I hope to become an Art Therapist after my master’s degree and want to experiment with more media while strengthening my skills in video editing and performance art.
1 Km Project
Two Paths
Grace Gaebel
Two Pathsis a mix of physical and virtual recordings of my journeys through campus on two separate days, capturing my heart rate, emotions, pace, and the time it takes me to travel 1 km across campus. I tracked this information through my watch, fitness app (VeryFit) and documented myself through video as well as through photos. The purpose of capturing this experience on two separate days is to show a contrast in my emotions, weather conditions, technological tracking, and the time it takes me to trek across campus, and to see how my emotions reflect my steps. In a gallery setting, this would be displayed as a wall installation—a large grid of visual maps and biometric graphs paired with audio recordings or printed large-scale personal representations (drawings) of my path through an emotional lens.
Critique
1. Did I measure a precise kilometre and can I prove it?
Yes. I measured and tracked the exact 1 km distance across campus using my watch, which recorded my precise step count, timing, and route. The complete path is digitally documented through the VeryFit app tracking log.
2. Is my idea creative or thought-provoking?
Yes. After completing each walk and viewing the route on the VeryFit app, I recreated my own emotional visual representation of the path. The creativity comes from directly contrasting the cold, technological capture of my trek against my internal, subjective emotional experience of it.
3. Do my materials/media match my concept?
Yes. I intentionally combined virtual and physical media to connect technology and human emotion. Using my watch, phone, and app provided the hard digital data, while drawing out the lines on paper created a physical representation of my inner state.
4. Can I present it clearly in under 5 minutes?
Yes. I organized my documentation into a clear, visual video format incorporating images of my data, drawings, and routes, allowing me to present the entire project smoothly in under 5 minutes.
5. Can I reflect on what I learned and how this kilometre makes us think differently?
Yes. I learned that physical distance is nuanced and open to interpretation depending on how it’s measured. By mixing physical drawings with technological tracking, the project shows that 1,000 metres is not just a number. The KM represents my emotions—like stress, anxiety, or feeling relaxed—that directly changed my physical pace, heart rate, and even whether I chose a direct or winding path across campus. It makes us think differently about the monotonous actions of walking through campus and actually gives you the chance to slow down and think about your every step instead of the busyness of life, as well as practice mindfulness. A kilometre changes based on whether it is being recorded by an app or actually felt by the person walking it, proving that technological tracking only tells half the story.
Marina Abramovic
The Artist is Present
Q. 1
When watching the documentary, my first impression was definitely a mix of shock and admiration at how far Marina Abramović pushes her body for art. To be honest, I found the nudity and self-harm pretty startling, and at times it felt like too much for performance art—crossing a line into unnecessary physical risk. On the other hand, I really admire her piece The Artist Is Present. Sitting across from strangers and holding motionless eye contact for three months straight takes unbelievable mental discipline, concentration, and passion. However, it’s also problematic because of the extreme physical toll it takes on her body. Trapped in one spot for hours without moving, dealing with intense physical discomfort and no bathroom breaks in front of an audience, it makes viewers question the unethical side of her piece.
Another work I found really interesting was The Lovers, where she and Ulay walked from opposite ends of the Great Wall of China. What was originally planned as a romantic reunion and marriage turned into a bittersweet 90-day walk that ended up being a funeral for their relationship. The piece faced many major problems, including taking eight years of legal battles with the Chinese government just to get permission, along with enduring harsh physical terrain. Instead of a happy reunion, through the harsh terrain it ended up being a very sad goodbye, which shows that legal troubles and physical exhaustion can completely change the original intentions of the performance.
Q. 3
Her performance art resists traditional museums because you can’t buy, sell, or hang a temporary live action on a wall when the artwork is literally a person’s body in the moment. Marina Abramović gets around this by hiring 30 young artists to re-perform her iconic past works and selling photo and video documentation. I think having those young performers re-enact her pieces is a great compromise—it lets her almost relive her art through them and gives a new audience the chance to experience it live. Even though re-performing these raw pieces in a clean museum can feel a bit staged since she herself is not re-enacting it, these compromises ultimately add to her work, because without documentation and re-enactments, performance art would just fade away and be forgotten.
Hi, I’m Elinoy. I’m in my third year of the Bachelor of Creative Arts, Health and Wellness program, but in my fourth year of university since I switched programs. I am taking this course to push myself out of my artistic comfort zone. My end goal is to be a therapist with the ability to do art therapy!
I originally only knew about Marina’s work “Rhythm 0” (1974). This documentary has shown me her other impressive works and impressed me with her dedication to her art. I admire the way she portrays emotions through her work, such as “Rest Energy” (1980) and “Self Portrait With A Skeleton” (2003). These works also leave a lot of room for the viewer to interpret her art as they see fit, which, while some may not appreciate that, I believe that it allows each person to make their own connection to the artwork.
Performance art disrupts what is perceived as standard for museums and collections. The type of art displayed most commonly is paintings or printed photographs. While Marina does display photographs and videos, the main art piece is the actions that were taken to achieve the message of the piece. Her live performances are carefully constructed and are not as easy to move around as a painting, which makes seeing them a unique experience. Exhibiting videos does make her work more accessible, but I do believe that it takes away from the piece, as it is a recording rather than a performance to be witnessed.
Hello! I am a third year Studio Art major with a focus in sculpture and printmaking. I am very passionate about creating, making social connections, and learning new and uncomfortable things (which is why I love this porgram so much!!).
Reflection: Why did you decide to take this program? What do you hope it helps you do or become?
I transferred from YorkU to GuelphU for the 2024 Fall semester because it was too expensive living in the city, and I never actually checked this class off the list.
HOWEVER…
This does not mean I’m not excited for this class. I’m very intrigued by the different projects and artists we’ve talked about so far, and I’m excited to expand my thinking about art and what is considered art.
Hi! My name is Oscar and I am a second year Studio Art major. I loooove photography and collage the most, but I am always excited to experiment with new mediums! My favourite author is Jeanette Winterson, and I am currently reading her book Written on the Body. My other hobbies/interests include: writing, tarot, embroidery and sewing, tea, movies (my current favourites are Carol and Frances Ha), antiquing, journaling, and cooking!
Hi! My name is Alyssa and I am in Creative Arts, Health, and Wellness. I hope to become an art therapist and work with young children. I love all things art, but with a special adoration for watercolors. I love painting animals, especially birds, and you can always find me working in my sketchbook. I am always listening to music while I paint, with some of my favourite artists being Phoebe Bridgers, Noah Kahan, Hozier, and Clairo. When I’m not painting, you can find me baking or reading. I’m a huge fan of poetry, and I’m currently super into Mary Oliver poems!
