ART VITAL embarks on an international tour with its first stop in China
Following an exhibition at Cukrarna Gallery, the exhibition ART VITAL – 12 Years of the Ulay / Marina Abramović will open at Aranya Art Center North in Qinhuangdao, China, on 31 July 2026. This marks the beginning of the international tour of the project, which was conceived and produced by Cukrarna Gallery / Museum and Galleries of Ljubljana (MGML) and was first presented in Ljubljana from 30 November 2025 to 10 May 2026.
The exhibition explores the twelve-year artistic and personal partnership of Marina Abramović and Ulay (Frank Uwe Laysiepen), one of the most influential artistic duos of the twentieth century. Between 1976 and 1988, the two artists lived and worked together, merging artistic practice with everyday life and creating works that have since become milestones in the history of performance art.
While the presentation of their shared legacy at Cukrarna Gallery in Ljubljana, Slovenia carried a particular symbolic and emotional significance—Ulay spent the final years of his life in the city—the exhibition's presentation in China establishes a new symbolic connection. The exhibition takes place in Aranya Art Center North, approximately 60 kilometres from Shanhaiguan, where Marina Abramović began the legendary three-month performance The Lovers: The Great Wall Walk in 1988. The exhibition has been newly conceived for the spaces of Aranya Art Center North. Following its presentation in China, ART VITAL will continue its international journey to Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin, where it will open on 27 November 2026.
The curatorial concept of the ART VITAL – 12 Years of Ulay / Marina Abramović exhibition was originally conceived by Alenka Gregorič, Artistic Director of Cukrarna Gallery, and Felicitas Thun-Hohenstein, the professor at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. The exhibition was first presented at Cukrarna Gallery from November 30, 2025 to May 10, 2026. The China presentation is co-curated by Sherry Lai, Managing Partner of SPURS Gallery. The project was realized in close collaboration with Marina Abramović, Sydney Fishman, and Cathy Koutsavlis from the Marina Abramović Archies, and Lena Pislak, Director of the ULAY Foundation, with strong institutional support from Cukrarna / Museum and Galleries of Ljubljana, the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, and numerous other sponsors, partners, and contributors. The fact that the exhibition has been recognised and included in the programmes of two distinguished international institutions underscores its international relevance, the strength of its curatorial vision, and the dedication and expertise of the entire project team. As it continues its international journey, ART VITAL further strengthens the international profile of the Museum and Galleries of Ljubljana (MGML) as an institution committed to developing ambitious exhibition projects with lasting international resonance.