Ulay as guest at the ZKM

Artist Ulay presents his most recent publication »Whispers: Ulay on Ulay«, followed by a screening of the films »Ulay – Project Cancer« and »Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present«.
 
Frank Uwe Laysiepen, better known as Ulay, born in Solingen, in 1943, is considered a pioneer of Polaroid photography, and, not least through his long-standing collaboration with the artist Marina Abramović, became a prominent figure in performance art. His works, as well as those produced in collaboration with Marina Abramović , are to be found in the numerous collections of important art institutes throughout the world: Stedejlik Museum Amsterdam, Centre Pompidou Paris or The Museum of Modern Art New York.
 
Ulay was Professor of Performance at the HfG | Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design from 1999 to 2004, and a great many of his works have been represented in diverse ZKM exhibitions. In recent years, Ulay has dedicated himself increasingly to projects and artistic initiatives connected with increasing awareness, understanding and respect for the element of water. He lives in Amsterdam, Holland, and in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
 

Whispers: Ulay on Ulay

Maria Bojan and Alessandro Cassin (eds.) 

»Whispers: Ulay on Ulay« published in November, 2014 provides new insights into the artist’s methods of working, from his first works through to current projects. With texts by Laurie Anderson, Thomas McEvilley, Timea Lelik, Tevz Logar, Charlemagne Palestine, John Reuter, Silvio Wolf and an interview with Marina Abramović, as well by Ulay himself. It represents an attempt to reconcile apparently contrasting aspects of his works.
 

Ulay – Project Cancer

Documentary film, 2013, director Damjan Kozole
 
»Project Cancer« was produced under unexpected circumstances. In summer 2011, Ulay was diagnosed with cancer. At the time, Ulay and Damjan Kozole were in the middle of planning a joint film project. The script was restructured, and the film’s initial scenes were shot at the Ljubljana Institute of Oncology in November 2011. At this time Ulay underwent chemotherapy, following which he travelled to visit his friends for the maybe last time: he travelled from Ljubljana, via Berlin and New York and finally to Amsterdam, and always accompanied by a camera.
 

Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present

Documentary film, 2012, director Matthew Akers, and Jeff Dupre

The film features Marina Abramović , one of the most renowned performance artists, before, during and after her solo-exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in 2010. Here, among others, videos were shown of her earlier works and performances as reconstructed by her students. However, over these three months, Abramović was also herself on-site, and sat, motionless, on a chair six days a week for seven hours at a stretch in the middle of the atrium. Single members of the audience could sit opposite her so as to enter into an »intellectual dialog«. The film provides an insight into her dealings with curators, gallery owners and students, and thus paints an intimate portrait of the artist.