Marina Abramović, the pioneering performance artist who turns 80 this year, is the subject of a major exhibition at the Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice, running through October. The show, titled "Transforming Energy," features interactive "transitory objects" such as crystal structures and minerals, a re-enactment of one of her best-known performances, and a depiction of her work "Pieta" staged with her late partner Ulay alongside Titian’s masterpiece. Abramović became the first living woman to be honored with a major exhibition at the museum, and she previously won the top prize at the 1997 Venice Biennale. In an interview, she discusses her shift from painting to performance, her evolving relationship with the audience, and the challenge of holding attention in an age of distraction.
The exhibition matters because it underscores Abramović’s enduring influence on contemporary art and her radical redefinition of the artist-audience relationship. By centering audience participation as essential to completing the work, she challenges the passive consumption of art in a digital era dominated by short attention spans. The show also highlights the ongoing relevance of performance art in major institutional contexts, and Abramović’s career—from her landmark 2010 MoMA performance "The Artist Is Present" to her current Venice show—serves as a touchstone for debates about presence, embodiment, and engagement in visual culture.