Ulay / Marina Abramović
The exhibition ART VITAL – 12 Years of Ulay / Marina Abramović offers for the first time a multilayered insight into the unique and uncompromising collaborative work and life of the artist couple Ulay and Marina Abramović over a period of 12 years between 1976 and 1988.
ART VITAL – 12 Years of Ulay / Marina Abramović presents the iconic partnership between Marina Abramović (b.1946, Belgrade) and Ulay – Frank Uwe Laysiepen (1943, Solingen – 2020, Ljubljana). Between 1976 and 1988, the two artists lived and worked together, seamlessly integrating artistic practice into daily life while challenging conventional notions of authorship and identity. Their groundbreaking practice probed vulnerability, resilience, and interdependence, mirroring the intensity of their shared life and creative process.
For five years, Abramović and Ulay lived and travelled in a van, without a permanent studio or home, fully immersing themselves in their artistic journey. Their collaboration began with the performance Relation in Space (1976), exploring endurance, trust, and intimacy, and culminated in the notorious three-month walk along the Great Wall of China, documented in The Lovers: The Great Wall Walk (1988).
The exhibition brings together videos, photographs, drawings, sketches, letters, and diary entries, revealing both the public performances and the intimate processes behind them. It offers a rare insight into how Abramović and Ulay redefined the dynamics of artistic partnership and self-representation, challenging conventional notions of authorship and the boundaries between art and life.
The exhibition unfolds across all gallery spaces and floors, where works from their collaborative years are arranged as spatially linked chapters. Ljubljana holds particular significance in this story, as Ulay spent the last decade of his life in the city. Presenting their shared legacy at Cukrarna Gallery therefore carries both symbolic and emotional weight. ART VITAL unites art, memory, and lived experience, offering renewed insight into a partnership that continues to resonate as a vital and transformative chapter in contemporary art history. Visitors will encounter previously unseen documents and artworks, learn about the methods and ideas behind their practice, and experience key moments from their rich oeuvre.
Exhibition of works by acclaimed performance artists Marina Abramović and Ulay, organised by the curatorial team of Alenka Gregorič and Felicitas Thun-Hohenstein in collaboration with the Ulay Foundation, Lena Pislak, Sydney Fishman and the Marina Abramović Archive.
Curated by Alenka Gregorič, Felicitas Thun-Hohenstein
Produced by Cukrarna Gallery (Museum and Galleries of Ljubljana) in collaboration with Lena Pislak – ULAY Foundation; Sydney Fishman – Marina Abramović Archives.
Re-performances program: Billy Zhao, Rebecca Davis – Marina Abramović Institute; Mara Anjoli Vujić, Alenka Gregorič – Cukrarna Gallery; Re-performance actors: Primož Bezjak, Katarina Stegnar
Project director: Blaž Peršin; Project deputy director: Tamara Bregar; Project manager: Eva Bolha; Coordination and production: Rosa Lux – ULAY Foundation, Cathy Koutsavlis – Marina Abramović Archives; Head of communication and strategic partnerships: Nejc Kovačič; Marketing and public relations: Mojca Podlesek; PR support: Karin Samsa; Production: Janja Buzečan, Marija Veljanovska Nemec, Neža Vengust; Educational program: Nina Vošnjak; Exhibition design: Prostorske prakse – Katarina Čakš, Pavlina Košir; Exhibition design consulting: Rok Žnidaršič, Jerneja Fischer Knap; Visual identity: Ajdin Bašić; Graphic design support: Špela Razpotnik, Špela Banko; Technical crew: Jože Kalan, Martin Lovšin, Bert Prelec, Žan Rantaša, Andrej Črepinšek, Borut Wenzel, RPS d.o.o., Peter Superti; Video preparation and installation: Ramon Coelho; Exhibition equipment execution: RPS d.o.o., Eidotech GmbH, O.K.VIR d.o.o.
We gratefully acknowledge the institutions and private owners for their loans and collaborations: Marina Abramović Archives; ULAY Foundation; Musée d’art contemporain de Lyon; Akron Art Museum, Ohio; Collection Dacić Hamburg; Kröller-Müller Museum Otterlo; Kunstmuseum Bern
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Opening hours
Tuesday to Sunday: 10.00–19.00
24 and 31 December: 10.00–14.00
Closed: Mondays, 1 January, 1 November, 25 December
*Opening hours on the opening day, 30. November 2025, will differ.
Tickets
Adults: 14 €
Students, retirees, visitors with disabilities: 10€
Family ticket: 30 €
Free admission: Admission free for children 7 and under, companions of persons with disabilities, tourist guides, ICOM, PRESS, Ljubljana Card, students of ALUO, AGRFT, AU UNG, Art Education PEF, UMZGO, AVA, NTF, VUO UP PEF and Cultural Studies at FDV and students of Secondary School of Design and Photography (Ljubljana, Maribor).
For more information on tickets, group visits, and the accompanying programme, please see the practical information section below.
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Re-Performances Programme
The re-performances constitute the live component of the exhibition: they reactivate iconic performances in the present, sharpen our perception that history remains in flux with and through us, and open up performance/art as a field for social change. In preparation for the performances, Stegnar and Bezjak participated in the Cleaning the House workshop at the Marina Abramović Institute in Karyes, Greece. For five days, the artists refrained from eating, speaking, reading, and were without watches, phones, and other electronics. During the workshop, they completed a series of long durational exercises expanding focus, stamina, and concentration.
Historical performances by Ulay and Marina Abramović are re-performed by Katarina Stegnar and Primož Bezjak as part of ART VITAL.
As part of the programme, the two performers will restage Work Relation (1978) and A Similar Illusion (1981) multiple times, while the canonical performances — Light / Dark (1977), AAA-AAA (1978), and Breathing In / Breathing Out (1978) — will be presented only once.
You can find the schedule and ticket availability >>here.
Publications
Catalogue ART VITAL – 12 Years of Ulay / Marina Abramović
A comprehensive overview of the artistic practice, life, and thinking of the Ulay / Marina Abramović duo through essays by twelve internationally recognised writers and researchers. The essays are accompanied by an archive of documents, drawings, and photographs of performances. Available in Slovenian or English at the Cukrarna Gallery's reception desk or in the online shop.
Photobook LOVE. HATE. FORGIVENESS.
The photobook brings together more than three hundred photographs from the personal archives of Ulay and Marina Abramović, including photographs published publicly for the first time, revealing behind-the-scenes insights into their creative process, as well as an interview in English with Marina Abramović and Lena Pislak. Available at the Cukrarna Gallery's reception desk or in the online shop.
ART VITAL Souvenir Collection
The ART VITAL collection consists of a selection of objects that are not merely souvenirs, but carriers of ideas drawn from the manifesto formulated by Ulay and Marina Abramović at the beginning of their shared life.
The collection includes pencils and pens featuring iconic lines from the manifesto, mugs for everyday rituals, postcards with motifs from legendary performances, bags, T-shirts, and socks created in collaboration with the Slovenian brand SLAVSOCKS. A special place within the collection is held by the ART VITAL notebooks, developed in collaboration with the original Moleskine®. Their inspiration stems from the diaries and sketchbooks used by Ulay and Marina Abramović in their artistic practice.
Available at the Cukrarna Gallery's reception desk or in our online shop.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
TICKETS
Time-slot reservations and ticket sales are available for the period from 30 November 2025 to 3 May 2026. Open days—such as the exhibition opening day, Prešeren Day, and other public holidays—are excluded (ticket sales for open days will begin no later than one week in advance, except for the opening day). Each day, a limited number of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the Cukrarna Gallery reception. Ticket prices are listed in the Tickets section.
TIME-SLOT CHANGES
Changes to a purchased time slot can be arranged at the Cukrarna Gallery reception or by email at info@cukrarna.art.
GUIDED TOURS
! From February 2026 onwards, public guided tours on Tuesdays and Thursdays will start half an hour earlier, at 5:00 pm, while Sunday tours will continue to take place at the unchanged time of 11:30 am.
Public guided tours in Slovenian take place on Tuesdays at 5:30 PM, Thursdays at 5:30 PM, and Sundays at 11:30 AM. For more information, click here.
For a reservation of guided tours for larger groups to the exhibition, contact prijava@mgml.si.
For curator-led tours, check the current programme here.
WORKSHOPS AND LECTURES
The exhibition’s accompanying programme includes workshops and lectures. For more information, click here.
VISIT, PHOTOGRAPHY, LOCKERS
We recommend allowing approximately 2 hours for your visit. Visits take place in timed slots to ensure a comfortable and safe experience. Once inside the gallery, visitors may explore the exhibition at their own pace. Personal belongings can be stored in the lockers. Photography for personal use is permitted (without flash). Filming, photography, and mobile phone use during reperformance events are strictly prohibited. Violations may result in legal action. For professional or media photography, contact info@cukrarna.art.
Experience the exhibition with the >> audio guide with Marina Abramović.
CONTENT WARNING
The exhibition includes artworks and video materials that may evoke physical or emotional responses (including scenes of nudity and violence) and may be unsuitable for younger children; therefore, viewing is recommended under the guidance of parents or guardians. Some videos may pose risks for visitors sensitive to light, epilepsy, or hyperacusis. If you experience distress during or after your visit and wish to talk to someone, contact professional support services such as the Samarijan and Sopotnik helpline at +386 116 123 (available 24 hours a day, every day).
PRESS INFORMATION
Press images and releases are available in the “Press Kit” section. Press accreditation must be arranged with the Cukrarna gallery’s PR department at least three working days prior to the visit. For interviews, press conference details, or additional materials, contact info@cukrarna.art.
