World-renowned performance artist Marina Abramovic opened her new exhibition “Memory of Being” in Kaunas on Tuesday (March 29) and part of the money raised will go to help the people of Ukraine.
The exhibition features the Serbian artist’s works from the 1960s to the present day. According to Abramovic, one of her motivations for organising the exhibition was to collect money for Ukrainians whose livelihoods have been impacted by Russia’s ongoing military invasion.
“We don’t need much art in Ukraine. What we need is food, is accommodation, is safety for the children, is the weapons. This what we need. And this is what I’m doing now, trying to raise this money,” she told a news conference, adding that she was the first artist to make a public statement against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on February 24. United Nations data showed a week ago that more than 3.5 million people have since fled abroad. The organisers also announced that part of the money for the tickets will be used to support the Ukrainian cultural programme in Kaunas which is the European Capital of Culture 2022.
Addressing the role of a contemporary artist, Abramovic pointed out that each creator was “responsible for his work” and “responsible for his message”.
“We have to change our way of thinking. We have to change ourselves,” Abramovic said.
via Reuters
