Marina Abramovic's exhibit "The Artist Is Present" at MoMA made a lot of people cry. There's even a tumblr dedicated to how much everyone was crying.
marinaabramovicmademecry.tumblr.com
The premise of the exhibition was simple. Spectators were invited to sit across from her in complete silence while Abramovic stared at them. A lot of people were moved, but the tables were turned when a surprise guest showed up the opening night of the exhibition.
Her ex-lover Ulay:
Ulay is another performance artist who worked and had a relationship with Abramovic in the '70s. In 1988, the two artists decided to make a spiritual journey to represent the end of their relationship. They went to China where the walked the length of the Great Wall starting on opposite ends and meeting in the middle to exchange goodbyes.
Marina Abramovic on her relationship with Ulay:
"We needed a certain form of ending, after this huge distance walking towards each other. It is very human. It is in a way more dramatic, more like a film ending … Because in the end you are really alone, whatever you do."
Ulay showed up at the exhibition. This was the first time Abramovic had seen him in 22 years:
Here's the full video:
