The most celebrated performance artist in the world discusses her experiences of 512 Hours.

‘The hardest thing is to do something which is close to nothing.’ – Marina Abramović

Over a career spanning four decades Marina Abramović has pioneered performance as an art form and accumulated a devoted following that includes Jay-Z and Lady Gaga.

Using her body as both subject and object, Abramović explores notions of nothingness and time, and draws in the audience as part of her performance. At her 2010 exhibition, ‘The Artist is Present’, at New York’s MOMA visitors were invited to sit silently opposite her and gaze into her eyes for an unspecified amount of time. Every day people broke down in tears.

Now Abramović is in London, appearing at the Serpentine Gallery in an acclaimed exhibition, ‘512 Hours’, which features only herself, the empty gallery, a few props, and the audience who both literally and metaphorically leave their baggage at the gate: bags, phones, iPads etc must be left in lockers before entry. Warned only to expect the unexpected, visitors are invited to give testimony to their experiences on video, and many have spoken of their overwhelming sense of presentness and gratitude. After the exhibition closes, Intelligence Squared are delighted that Abramović will be coming to their stage to discuss her recent experience in London and why, rejecting the materiality and glitz of so much contemporary art, she believes that in the 21st century art will be made not out of objects but out of energy.

11th September, 7pm

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COMPETITION: Win 1x pair of tickets to attend Marina Abramovic at the Royal College of Music at 19:00 on Thursday, 11th September. To enter the competition, send an email to bojana@run-riot.com with the correct answer in the ‘subject’ box. The winner will be randomly selected.

Q: Marina Abramovic is originally from

A: 1) Moldavia 2) Serbia 3) Russia