Marina Abramović redefined modern performance art through intense, physically demanding works. Known as the grandmother of performance art, her career spans decades of boundary-pushing exhibitions.
This quiz covers her early solo works, her partnership with Ulay, and major exhibitions like her famous MoMA retrospective. Some questions check basic facts, while others focus on specific performance details.
After finishing, check out our quizzes on famous artists, learn about contemporary art, or explore museums and galleries to see how much you know.
Marina Abramović was born in which country?
Serbia
Serbia
Italy
Italy
France
France
Germany
Germany
In 2010, at which major museum did Abramović hold a retrospective where she sat silently for 736 hours?
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
Centre Pompidou
Centre Pompidou
Tate Modern
Tate Modern
The Guggenheim Museum
The Guggenheim Museum
In the 2010 performance at MoMA, what object did Abramović sit on for the duration of the exhibition?
Chair
Chair
Bed
Bed
Piano
Piano
Table
Table
For her 2010 MoMA performance, Abramović wore long, flowing dresses in red, blue, and which other color?
Yellow
Yellow
Black
Black
White
White
Green
Green
In the 1980 piece ‘Rest Energy’, what was Ulay holding while Abramović held the bow?
A knife placed against her neck
A knife placed against her neck
A heavy stone suspended above her head
A heavy stone suspended above her head
A loaded gun pointed at her heart
A loaded gun pointed at her heart
The bowstring with an arrow pointed at her heart
The bowstring with an arrow pointed at her heart
How many hours long was the original 1974 performance ‘Rhythm 0’?
12 hours
12 hours
10 hours
10 hours
8 hours
8 hours
6 hours
6 hours
How many objects were laid out on a table for the audience to use on Abramović in ‘Rhythm 0’?
92 objects
92 objects
82 objects
82 objects
62 objects
62 objects
72 objects
72 objects
Which of these items was included on the table during the 1974 ‘Rhythm 0’ performance?
A loaded gun
A loaded gun
A telephone
A telephone
A hair dryer
A hair dryer
A padlock
A padlock
In 1988, for the piece ‘The Lovers’, Abramović and Ulay walked toward each other from opposite ends of what location?
The Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon
The Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China
The Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall
The Dead Sea
The Dead Sea
Who was Abramović’s primary partner in life and performance art from 1976 to 1988?
Joseph Beuys
Joseph Beuys
Ulay
Ulay
Vito Acconci
Vito Acconci
Chris Burden
Chris Burden
In which city did Abramović and Ulay meet and begin their collaborative work?
Belgrade
Belgrade
Amsterdam
Amsterdam
New York City
New York City
Berlin
Berlin
In the piece ‘Breathing In/Breathing Out’, what were Abramović and Ulay doing while connected by their mouths?
Slapping each other repeatedly
Slapping each other repeatedly
Shouting loudly at each other
Shouting loudly at each other
Inhaling each other’s exhaled breath
Inhaling each other’s exhaled breath
Screaming until they fainted
Screaming until they fainted
In which early 1973 piece did Abramović rhythmically stab a knife between her fingers?
Rhythm 0
Rhythm 0
Rhythm 5
Rhythm 5
Rhythm 10
Rhythm 10
Rhythm 4
Rhythm 4
What did Abramović do in her 1974 performance ‘Rhythm 5’?
She locked herself in a glass room for a week
She locked herself in a glass room for a week
She stood still while viewers cut her clothes and skin
She stood still while viewers cut her clothes and skin
She lay down inside a burning wooden star
She lay down inside a burning wooden star
She ran repeatedly into a concrete wall
She ran repeatedly into a concrete wall
Abramović is widely referred to as the ‘grandmother’ of which artistic medium?
Performance Art
Performance Art
Minimalism
Minimalism
Body Art
Body Art
Conceptual Art
Conceptual Art
What title is Marina Abramović often called due to her long career and influence?
The ‘Sister’ of performance art
The ‘Sister’ of performance art
The ‘Mother’ of performance art
The ‘Mother’ of performance art
The ‘Grandmother’ of performance art
The ‘Grandmother’ of performance art
The ‘Pioneer’ of performance art
The ‘Pioneer’ of performance art
Prior to ‘The Artist Is Present’, where did Abramović re-enact famous historical performance pieces in ‘Seven Easy Pieces’?
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Centre Pompidou
Centre Pompidou
The Louvre
The Louvre
Tate Modern
Tate Modern
What is the name Abramović gives to the sculptures she designed for visitors to interact with?
Relational Objects
Relational Objects
Interconnected Objects
Interconnected Objects
Endurance Objects
Endurance Objects
Transitory Objects
Transitory Objects
In which decade did Abramović begin her most famous ‘Rhythm’ series?
1970s
1970s
1980s
1980s
1990s
1990s
1960s
1960s
What became a viral moment during ‘The Artist Is Present’ at MoMA in 2010?
A fan threw a glass at her
A fan threw a glass at her
She fell asleep
She fell asleep
An unexpected visit from Ulay
An unexpected visit from Ulay
She started laughing
She started laughing
What was used to demarcate the performance space on the gallery floor during the 2010 ‘The Artist Is Present’ exhibition?
A ring of lighted candles
A ring of lighted candles
A painted black circle
A painted black circle
A simple boundary of tape
A simple boundary of tape
A shallow pool of water
A shallow pool of water
What was the real name of her longtime partner, commonly known as Ulay?
Uwe Laysie
Uwe Laysie
Ulrich Layman
Ulrich Layman
Frank Uwe Laysiepen
Frank Uwe Laysiepen
Ulay Klaus
Ulay Klaus
You can do better
Not bad
Great!
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