Marina Abramović & Ulay

Serbia - Germany (1946 | 1943-2020)
Biennale Images Vevey
2022
The Lovers, The Great Wall Walk

The Lovers, The Great Wall Walk marks the end of the intimate and artistic relationship between two pioneers of performance art, Marina Abramović and Ulay. In 1988, after eight years of discussions with the Chinese government, the duo was granted permission to walk the Great Wall of China. They started at opposite ends of the famous wall and walked towards each other. After a final embrace, they parted for good.

The Lovers, The Great Wall Walk is a work about the uncertainty of romantic relationships. Festival Images Vevey sets this project in dialogue with photographs taken by Marco Anelli in 2010, when the couple reunited for Abramović’s performance at the MoMA in New York.