Soooo, when Malcom Gladwell’s podcast network reaches out to you and says, “Hey Danielle, would you like to share part of an interview we did with Marina Abramović with your listeners”, you say, “ummm, OKAY!”  I’ve put a little mini episode together, featuring a 20 minute excerpt from their show, “Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso”. Every Sunday, Sam invites an artist, activist, or politician to come to the table and speak from the heart… and today that person is Marina! Look’n listen right up there, or download ART FOR YOUR EAR wherever you get your podcasts.

First, I want to show you the “Crystal Wall of Crying (2021)”,  located at the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center in in Kyiv, Ukraine:

“The Crystal Wall of Crying is Marina Abramovic’s reflection on the tragedy of Babyn Yar and the Holocaust. It symbolizes the terrible impact of mass murder on collective memory and the healing potential of focused reflection for future generations. The wall creates a special space where everyone can think, remember, reflect on the tragic events of the past and draw personal conclusions. Interaction with natural quartz crystals seeks to heal the wounds of the past by reconnecting with individual body experiences. (The Crystal Wall of Crying is forty meters long and three meters high and consists of anthracite and 75 quartz crystals. Visitors are invited to interact with the crystals and meditate.)

Hopefully this crystal-filled wall will bring the healing to the people of Ukraine again, one day very soon.

Of course, we can’t mention Marina without mentioning “The Artist Is Present” at MoMA in 2010:

Did you go to this? I didn’t, but I’m so curious what it was like to be there in person? Amazing? Weird? Both?

And finally, since we were flies on the wall of Marina’s New York apartment, how about a little look:

Wait… she’s a regular person with a couch and cozy socks? Yep, we’re all just people. Thanks so much to Sam Fragoso and Pushkin Podcast Network for inviting me share this with all of you, and speaking of YOU… thanks for listening! I’ll be back with the second part of my conversation with Petah Coyne next weekend.

Other links:

1. “Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso”
2. Sam’s full interview with Marina…
3. Marina Abramović
4. “Crystal Wall of Crying”, Ukraine
5. “The Artist Is Present”, MoMA
6. Marco Anelli Studio (Photographer)