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Marina Abramovic leads seven minutes of silence at Glastonbury

Posted on by angelo
Marina Abramovic leads seven minutes of silence at Glastonbury

The visual and performance artist celebrated the first day of Glastonbury with introspective tranquility

June 28, 2024 | 1:35 p.m. ET

Marina Abramović has never shied away from counterintuitive prompts, but her latest attempt is her most oxymoronic yet: making Glastonbury, a very noisy music festival, fall silent for seven minutes straight.

Abramović completed the effort on Friday, the first official day of Glastonbury, around 5:55 p.m., shortly before PJ Harvey’s set on the Pyramid Stage. The visual and performance artist wanted the event to be a “public intervention” rather than a performance, and wanted participants to use silence as a way to reflect on the current state of the world.

Talk to The GuardianAbramović gave an overview of the event and explained why she was eager to capture this moment at such a crowded festival. “How do I keep the energy of silence? I’m not a singer, I’m here for another purpose, which is to understand how we can create silence and reflect what’s happening in the world right now and have that kind of presence on the Pyramid stage.”

She went on to say that she wasn’t even sure she would succeed at first. “It’s a big risk, that’s why I’m terrified,” Abramovic said. “I could fail completely, or people could just sit there. I don’t know, but I want to take the risk. Failure is also important, you learn from failure as well as success.” She also wanted the moment to be an introspective detour in an otherwise extroverted plan, saying: “We’re really facing a dark moment in human history. So what can be done? I always think that protest leads to more protest; hate leads to more hate. I think it’s important to look inward. It’s easy to criticize everything else, but what can I do for myself, how can I change?”

Glastonbury co-organizer Emily Eavis also expressed excitement for Abramović’s appearance. “We are honored that Marina Abramovic brings such significant and profound experience to Glastonbury,” said Eavis. The Guardian“His work has always pushed boundaries and inspired deep reflection, and we believe this moment of collective silence will be a memorable and impactful addition to the festival.” »

The Guardian reported live from the festival and discussed Abramović’s appearance in his live blog. “[Silence]is a big ask given the, er, well-lubricated nature of some Glastonbury punters, but from the sound of it, she’s pulled it off,” reported Gwilym Mumford.The GuardianSarah Phillips, who is on the ground, says that, apart from one rogue screamer, the crowd has remained silent and the effect is “incredibly powerful and moving”.

Glastonbury is currently taking place at Worthy Farm and will host concerts by Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA. Dua Lipa and Coldplay concerts can be streamed live from around the world on the BBC website.