Autumn reading: six new biographical books, including Marina Abramović's memoir
Latvian news portal Delfi has reviewed six recently published books about notable people. One of them is the Latvian edition of the autobiography of Serbian performance artist Marina Abramović.
The Latvian news portal Delfi has published a culture-section roundup of six recently released books about the lives of notable people. The selection covers the fates of Latvian and foreign artists, the life of a scientific genius of worldwide stature, and the creative world of a Latvian composer. The piece describes one title in detail: the autobiography of Serbian performance artist Marina Abramović, "Walking Through Walls" ("Ejot cauri sienām" in Latvian), issued by the publisher Aminori.
Who Marina Abramović is
Abramović calls herself the "grandmother of performance art". She was born in Belgrade in 1946. Her parents held senior positions in the Communist Party of Yugoslavia and imposed a strict, military-style regime on the children at home. She studied at art academies in Belgrade and Zagreb.
At 29 she moved to Amsterdam, where she met the German artist Ulay. The two were partners in both life and art until 1988. Abramović then pursued a solo career. The main themes of her performances, installations, video works and photographs were Balkan folklore, the aftermath of the Yugoslav war, and the interplay of life and death. For the performance "Balkan Baroque" she won the main prize of the 1997 Venice Biennale, the Golden Lion. In 2001 she moved to New York, where her art became quieter and more meditative.
The translator's view
The book's Latvian translator, Kārina Pētersone, says Abramović has become a legend through performances that balance on the limits of human ability, and that she still surprises. In her words, the life story is emotionally charged and strikingly candid, and it can serve as a key to the artist's world.
