Marina Abramović Presents ‘Historical Works and Transforming Energy’ in Rome

Lisson is pleased to announce that Marina Abramović’s Historical Works and Transforming Energy opens at the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Rome on 18 November 2026. Bringing together significant works from across the artist’s career, the exhibition marks Abramović’s eightieth birthday and traces the continuity of her research, highlighting her enduring exploration of presence, duration, the body and energy.

Curated by Shai Baitel, Andrea Tarsia and Abramović herself, the exhibition examines the development of her practice through two interconnected strands: her landmark performance works and her ongoing series of Transitory Objects. Historic works including Imponderabilia (1977), Balkan Baroque (1997) and The Artist Is Present (2010) demonstrate the central role of the body, presence and duration in her work, as well as the relationship between artist and audience. Alongside these, the Transitory Objects invite visitors to lie, sit or stand on sculptural forms, extending Abramović’s exploration of the body into a more contemplative, participatory experience. Through these pieces, the exhibition considers the relationship between physical presence, energy and geological time.

The exhibition coincides with further projects by the artist in Rome, including the unveiling of Confession (2026) on 19 November 2026. Commissioned by the Fondazione Alda Fendi – Esperimenti and realised in collaboration with Factum Arte, the site-specific installation features a life-size donkey and a metaphysical seat, both cast in gilded bronze. Installed beneath the Arch of Janus, the work reinterprets the ancient Roman passageway as a contemporary forum for encounter and public participation.

Marina Abramović: Historical Works and Transforming Energy is on view at Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Rome, Italy, until 4 April 2027.