Marina Abramović, the trailblazing Serbian performance artist, is preparing to unveil a new project in the UK next month.
The 78-year-old is widely remembered for her groundbreaking 1974 piece Rhythm 0, when she stood motionless for six hours while members of the public were given total freedom to do whatever they wanted to her body. On a table beside her, 72 objects were laid out—ranging from a rose and a bottle of perfume to scissors and even a loaded gun. Before the performance began, Abramović declared she would take “full responsibility” for whatever occurred.
At first, the crowd engaged gently. But as the hours passed, the situation grew darker. In one disturbing moment, a participant cut her neck and drank her blood, transforming the performance into a chilling exploration of human behavior.
Reflecting decades later, in a 2014 interview with The Guardian, Abramović confessed that during the piece she had been “ready to die,” adding: “How lucky I am.”
Since that infamous night, Abramović has remained at the forefront of conceptual art, constantly testing limits. Among her many bold works was a performance in which she experienced nine orgasms on stage.
Now, she is preparing to debut what she describes as her “most ambitious work” to date—Balkan Erotic Epic. Running from October 9 to 19 at Factory International in Manchester, the piece will feature a cast of 70 performers, including dancers, singers, and musicians, joining Abramović on stage.
Speaking once again to The Guardian, she said the show allows her to reconnect with her roots: “Through this project I would like to show poetry, desperation, pain, hope, suffering and reflect our own mortality.” She explained that the work delves into Slavic rituals, sexuality, spirituality, and humanity’s ongoing search for meaning.
According to Factory International, the four-hour performance will “explore the eroticism, spirituality and traditions of Abramović’s homeland through 13 visceral scenes.” Rather than sit as passive spectators, audience members will be able to “choose their own path,” moving freely between ritual, song, and dance.
The segments of the show carry provocative titles such as Scaring the Gods, Fertility Rite, and Massaging the Breast—offering a glimpse into the intensity and physicality of what lies ahead. Organizers describe the production not simply as theater, but as a collective ritual in which each participant shapes their own experience.
On the official Factory International site, the project is framed as a daring inquiry: “Unafraid to push the boundaries of eroticism and performance art, Balkan Erotic Epic asks its audience a timeless question:”
“What are our bodies truly for?”
After its UK run, Abramović’s latest creation will embark on a world tour, with upcoming performances in Barcelona, Berlin, New York, and Hong Kong.
