Amir Baradaran, Act I: Bodies and Wedding, On Marina Abramovic's The artist is present

www.amirbaradaran.com - The Other Artist Is Present- As Baradaran enters the meditative, luminous space in a red flowing gown—a close facsimile to Abramovics deep blue robe- he adds symmetry to the scene. Viewers familiar with Abramovics work will recognize the reference to her 1984 piece, Nightsea Crossing. Out of earshot of the audience, Baradaran expresses his deep and sincere devotion to Abramovics artistic legacy: I love you Marina, I love your bodies of work, I love this particular body and I would love to be wedded to this body.... do you accept this marriage, here and now?

Baradaran subtly alludes to the importance of the here and now which has long fascinated Abramovic. He also evokes the Shiite provision of temporary marriage: a fixed-term, noncommittal relationship by which intimacy could be shared for a specific time. He goes on to playfully describe a national tradition in which the woman coquettishly hesitates to respond when asked for her hand: in my culture they say she is out making rose water. Baradarans proposal represents a merging of passions and creativity expressed though contradictions inspired by the tongue and cheek sensibility of Abramovics 1997, This is How We Kill Rats in the Balkan. In it she clinically describes a national tradition of killing vermin only to later break joyously into dance. It is this juxtaposition of the sacred and the commonplace Baradaran wishes to celebrate.

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Tags:

• New York
• MOMA
• Museum of Modern Art
• Marina Abromovic
• Body Art
• Performance Art
• Artist
• The Other Artist Is Present
• The Artist Is Present

[Curtis2243]

In my culture, when the bride does not answer for the third time, they say she is dead.

[swimmerpolo713]

it is part of the performance. i dont get it tho

[SpyengoEen]

I would jerk off infront of her.

[LoborMusic]

hahaha, by far the stupidest thing i have seen... you dont have to be an art critic to recognize art.... this is proper case of being stupid, and calling it something other than that :D... a performance for instance xD

[lafalalalalalalalala]

if you dont get it thats fine. just dont complain about it. she sat there in silence to show how a stare can intrude on someone privacy. many people who sat in front of her after a few minutes broke down into tears.she is acting as a mirror for your emotions viewing it on video does not have the same impact. I dont get amir's preformance...i never got any of his tbh

[MIDJOBZ]

what do you mean brown guy? what the hell is up with the Yugoslavian canibal vampire, fucking wierdos looking ever so dramatic and morbid.

[daturkeyvaginamelonz]

Why does she remind me of Lady GaGa but only in art? What the hell is this wrong with this brown guy? Is this a fucking parody? lol @ his trying to marry her? Why the fuck is he repeating? Who gives a fuck about his culture? I'm brown too and I don't even know this was apart of it? am I just an unculture swine or is this just shit?

[adamgnome2]

idgi

[beskandalous]

I think this is satire. Lol.