Acclaimed Artist Abramovic Disillusioned with India Veering Away from Heritage, Cultural Roots

KOCHI:
World-renowned performance artist Marina Abramovic has said that India, which is increasingly distancing itself from its own heritage and culture in pursuit of Western values, no longer inspires her. She was speaking to the media in Kochi, where she arrived to deliver a talk on her art installations at the Kochi–Muziris Biennale.

The press conference was held at the Samudrika Convention Centre on Willingdon Island, Kochi. The interaction was led by Nikhil Chopra, curator of the sixth edition of the Kochi–Muziris Biennale, who introduced Abramović to the audience. Meha Patel, Gold Artist Patron of the Kochi Biennale Foundation, was also present.

Introducing the artist, Nikhil Chopra said, “Marina brings with her an extraordinary archive of over 62 years of performance practice. Her body itself becomes the archive—shaped by decades of hard work, risk-taking, and an unwavering commitment where the stakes have always been incredibly high.”

Reflecting on her early years, Abramović said, “At the time, I was already doing performance art—when it was not respected, not even considered art. I was fighting from the very beginning.” She added, “It took me nearly 62 years to convince the world that performance is art. Today, performance is mainstream—in museums and here at this Biennale.”

Speaking about the importance of nature in her practice, Abramović said that one must return to nature for answers. “You have to go to nature. Nature is everything—the high mountains, the rivers, exploding volcanoes… sitting under a tree with closed eyes. There are the answers, asking you who you are, what your aim is, and what you have to do. Nature is really the biggest teacher that we have to know,” she added.

Abramović also noted that her engagement with India began in childhood, shaped by the friendship between India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito. She shared that she initially expressed her creativity through painting, often depicting images from her dreams. However, witnessing fighter planes flying repeatedly across a cloudless sky led her to think differently about life and existence.