Marina Abramović is dropping her first NFTs. Produced in collaboration with The Cultural Institute of Radical Contemporary Art (CIRCA), the new piece reprises her legendary performance, The Hero (2001), which is being re-read as a radical call to action. Originally presented as a film, the work shows a woman on a white horse, gaze firmly ahead, holding a white flag fluttering in the breeze. Edited frame by frame for the 2022 edition, the film was initially an homage to the artist’s father, a Yugoslavian World War II hero. It is now being recast in a new medium for the Web3 space and presented as a rallying call for blockchain activism. CIRCA is presenting the new piece on outdoor screens in key urban landmarks from New York to Seoul until August 31st. 

Art Basel spoke to the artist.

Jeni Fulton: What to you is a hero today? How has the meaning of the work changed from 2001 to 2022?

Marina Abramović: All of my works have many lives. In 2001, The Hero was very personal to me because it related to the death of my father who was a national hero. Today, we are seeing heroism in a completely new light. We are talking about 2022. The meaning of heroism means so much more, especially in light of the Ukraine war. Right now, we need hardcore images and the image of the hero on the horse is a very strong image. Only the hero can save us! Somebody who sacrifices everything.

JF: What constitutes the work The Hero? Is it the NFTs, or the files that are being presented on CIRCA’s screens? How do the two relate?

MA: The most important thing is the concept. When you see that image, you see the horse. You see a woman on the horse – this is very important! You see that the horse is not moving, but the wind is moving the flag and the hair of the rider. There is something static, but there is still emotion at the same time which breaks this feeling of stillness. Something’s going to happen but it’s not happening yet. The change is going to happen. It’s in the air. Everything is suspended in the motion.

The CIRCA presentation of The Hero (2001) is appearing globally for three months. That in itself is a radical concept. It is durational. An extended pause. The Hero 25FPS (frames per second) NFTs are a concept because the public is engaging with time and experience, frame by frame. I have been working for a while now with public interaction and it’s very important to me that the public can decide. I’m just giving opportunity. Like in The Artist Is Present (2010), the public could sit for 8 hours or 1 minute. It’s up to them what experience they want to have.

JF: The NFT community is very wide, extending well beyond the confines of the traditional art audience. Are you hoping to reach and engage with newer communities?

MA: You know, my work passed beyond the art community so long ago and became something that resonated with a much younger generation. To me, these new Web3 communities are so important because they are seeking new adventures. They are seeking new ideas. We must pay attention to that community. They are the future.

CIRCA is a digital arts program that brings video works to life on outdoor screens in major cities across the world, in London, Seoul, Milan, Berlin, New York, and Los Angeles.

The NFTs are minted using the Tezos blockchain and will be available under https://circa.art/nft/. A percentage of the sales will be donated to heroes working within the web3 space.

Marina Abramović will be in conversation with Josef O'Connor, Founder & Artistic Director, CIRCA.ART as part of the Tezos NFT Speaker Series at Art Basel’s Swiss edition on Saturday, June 18 at 17.00 CET. Find out more here.

Abramović is represented by Galerie Krinzinger, Vienna; Lia Rumma, Naples and Milan; Lisson Gallery, London, New York, Shanghai; Sean Kelly, New York and Los Angeles; and Wilde Gallery, Geneva, Basel, Zurich.

Captions for full-bleed images, from top to bottom: 1. Seoul, COEX K-POP Square rendering of The Hero by Marina Abramović. © CIRCA. 2a (desktop view) Berlin, Limes DooH (Kurfürstendamm) rendering of The Hero by Marina Abramović. © CIRCA. 2b (mobile view) Los Angeles, Pendry West Hollywood rendering of The Hero by Marina Abramović. © CIRCA.