Reflect

For 79 days in the spring of 2010, Marina Abromovic carried out a performance art piece at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City called The Artist Is Present. Eight hours a day, Abromovic sat in one of two chairs facing each other. The invitation was for museum visitors to sit in stillness and silence across from the artist. No conversation, just eye contact. Ambrovic didn’t think very many people would participate; instead, for three months, thousands of people lined up around a New York City block to await their turn. And when they finally sat across from the artist, simply being seen, many people cried. Our desire to be granted someone’s full presence and quiet attention is a deep longing that often goes unmet. It shows up as loneliness — even in a primary relationship, even in a crowded room.