



In Marina Abramović‘s “Balkan Erotic Epic,” the “grandmother of performance art” beats Matthew Barney at his own game. In the piece, Abramović explores pagan Serbian fertility rituals and the use of sex magick to affect everyday life. One example is how a woman would keep a fish tucked into her vagina overnight and then make a powder of it to add to her man’s coffee. After he drinks it, he will never stray… or at least that’s the idea.

This major new work and multi-channel video installation explores how sexuality was defined in Balkan pagan traditions. Abramovic researched Serbian folklore and discovered many instances of the employment of eroticism to address everyday issues. For example, if it rained too much the women of the village would run into the fields and lift their skirts in an attempt to scare the gods and end the rain. Sweeping cinematic projections and animations play alongside contextual readings as Abramovic and amateur actors dress in traditional costumes and reanimate myth.

Through eroticism, the human attempts to make himself equal with the gods. In Balkan folklore, men and women sought to preserve indestructible energies through the use of the erotic. They believed that erotic energy was something non-human that could only come from higher forces.

Various explicit acts were performed for a variety of purposes; to promote the growth of crops, to heal a sick child, to protect against evil spirits and so forth.

Abramovic’s interest lies in what can be learned from these ancient traditions viewed now in a contemporary context.