Marina Abramović
Performance artist
Pretending I’m happy when I’m not.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 5 October 2024 source ↗
failure
Which moment embarrassed you most?
Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
A verbatim recurring question in The Guardian's Q&A series.
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It was a small gig and I was doing Three Minute Hero, which has a long, held note at the end, and I fell off the stage.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 12 April 2025 source ↗
Signing away the rights to my life story to a major motion-picture company for a sum that I have since been told was way below the market rate.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 24 May 2025 source ↗
Appearing on US breakfast radio. I heard the DJ say that after the news we would hear from the author Lincoln Child. I had to choose between making a guy with a mixed-up PR release look like an idiot or pretending to be Lincoln. I pretended.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 7 June 2025 source ↗
That time I congratulated a waitress on being pregnant.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 21 June 2025 source ↗
Falling off the stage and on to the pianist during the opening number in the Mother Goose pantomime at the Citizens theatre in Glasgow.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 26 July 2025 source ↗
Gloria Hunniford’s wedding at Hever Castle 20-odd years ago. We had a lovely buffet and a few drinks and then I had to get a cab back to the train station. I said to the driver: “I’m ever so sorry, but I’m not going to be able to hang on till I get to the train. Could you possibly take me down this alleyway?” He said: “Yes, of course.” As I prepared myself to go “to the ladies”, this police car came along and the policeman said: “Hi-de-Hi!”
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 2 August 2025 source ↗
When I was doing a masterclass at a theatre and I had to leave the stage because I was about to shit my pants.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 28 February 2026 source ↗
In the 1950s I went to the Chelsea Arts Club’s New Year’s Eve ball at the Royal Albert Hall dressed as a Christmas pudding, with swimming trunks under my costume and holly in my hair.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 20 June 2026 source ↗
I was about six years old in a market square in Italy and my dad said, “Oh, those shorts would look perfect on you.” So he whipped my trousers off and I hadn’t got any knickers on.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 22 August 2026 source ↗
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