Modus Vivendi (1979-1986)

1979-1986, 127 min, color, sound

Modus Vivendi is the general title that Abramovic and Ulay gave to a series of performances, tapes and Polaroid photographs in the 1980s. Although the artists continued to use their bodies as art objects, the works in this compilation tend to emphasize the metaphorical and the theatrical. They also explore the artists' relationship to the landscape and rituals of other cultures. For example, in Anima Mundi, the artists are seen in dramatically staged poses in a stark architectural landscape in Thailand.

Program 2 includes Nightsea Crossing Conjunction, one of a series of ritualistic performances, begun in 1981 and performed in sites around the world, in which the artists sat across from one another, motionless and silent, seven hours a day for 16 consecutive days. This document records a performance of this piece in Australia.

A MonteVideo/TBA, A&U Production

 
 

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1975-86, 8:58 hr, b&w and color, sound