What Happened to Marina Abramović and Ulay?
Marina Abramović and Ulay were pioneering performance artists whose intense 12-year artistic and romantic partnership (1976-1988) pushed the boundaries of body art and explored themes of ego, identity, and endurance. Their dramatic separation, marked by a walk on the Great Wall of China, was followed by a public reunion in 2010, a legal dispute over royalties, and an eventual reconciliation before Ulay's death in 2020. Abramović continues her influential career with major exhibitions and projects planned through 2026.
Quick Answer
Marina Abramović and Ulay were a celebrated performance art duo and romantic partners from 1976 to 1988, known for their radical 'relation works' that tested physical and psychological limits. Their relationship famously concluded with a performance on the Great Wall of China. After years of estrangement, they had an emotional public reunion in 2010, followed by a lawsuit over their joint works, which Ulay won in 2016. They later reconciled before Ulay's death in March 2020. Marina Abramović remains a highly active and influential artist, with several major exhibitions and projects scheduled throughout 2026, including 'THE BUS' at the World Economic Forum, 'Seven Deaths' in Copenhagen, and 'Transforming Energy' in Venice.
📊Key Facts
📅Complete Timeline16 events
Ulay's Birth
Frank Uwe Laysiepen, known as Ulay, was born in Solingen, Nazi Germany.
Marina Abramović's Birth
Marina Abramović was born in Belgrade, PR Serbia, Yugoslavia.
Meeting in Amsterdam
Marina Abramović and Ulay met in Amsterdam on their shared birthday, initiating their profound personal and artistic connection.
Beginning of Collaboration and Relationship
They began living and performing together, forming a 12-year partnership that would define a significant era of performance art, creating 'relation works' exploring ego and identity.
Performance: Imponderabilia
In one of their most iconic 'relation works,' Abramović and Ulay stood naked opposite each other in a narrow museum doorway, forcing visitors to squeeze between their bodies.
Performance: Rest Energy
The duo performed *Rest Energy*, where they balanced a drawn bow and arrow with their body weight, the arrow pointed at Abramović's heart, symbolizing extreme trust and interdependence.
Performance Series: Nightsea Crossing
They performed *Nightsea Crossing* 22 times across various international locations, sitting silently opposite each other for seven hours a day, testing endurance and non-verbal communication.
The Lovers: The Great Wall Walk Begins
Abramović and Ulay began their final collaborative performance, *The Lovers: The Great Wall Walk*, walking from opposite ends of the Great Wall of China to meet and symbolically end their relationship.
Great Wall Walk Concludes, Relationship Ends
After 90 days and walking 2,500 km each, they met in the middle of the Great Wall, embraced, and parted ways, marking the definitive end of their artistic and romantic partnership.
Emotional Reunion at MoMA's 'The Artist Is Present'
Ulay made a surprise appearance at Abramović's major MoMA retrospective, *The Artist Is Present*, sitting opposite her during her performance, leading to a deeply emotional and widely publicized reunion.
Ulay Sues Abramović
Ulay filed a lawsuit against Marina Abramović, alleging she had breached a 1999 contract regarding the sales and royalties of their joint works.
Ulay Wins Lawsuit
A Dutch court ruled in Ulay's favor, ordering Abramović to pay him over €250,000 in royalties and legal costs for their collaborative works.
Ulay's Death
Ulay died in Ljubljana, Slovenia, at the age of 76, due to complications from cancer treatment. Marina Abramović expressed her profound sadness.
Abramović Unveils 'THE BUS' at WEF Davos
Marina Abramović debuted 'THE BUS,' an immersive installation at the World Economic Forum in Davos, encouraging participants to disconnect digitally and engage with the present moment.
Abramović's 'Seven Deaths' Opens in Copenhagen
Marina Abramović's cinematic opera installation 'Seven Deaths' opens at Cisternerne in Copenhagen, staging death through iconic female opera roles.
Abramović's 'Transforming Energy' in Venice
Marina Abramović's 'Transforming Energy' exhibition opens at the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice, making her the first living woman artist to have a major solo show there, coinciding with her 80th birthday.
🔍Deep Dive Analysis
Marina Abramović and Ulay, born Frank Uwe Laysiepen, met in Amsterdam in 1975 on their shared birthday and quickly formed an intense artistic and romantic partnership that lasted 12 years, from 1976 to 1988. They described themselves as a "two-headed body" and "The Other," exploring concepts of ego and artistic identity through their radical "relation works." Their performances, often involving extreme physical and psychological endurance, pushed the boundaries of performance and body art, with notable pieces like Imponderabilia (1977), where they stood naked in a museum doorway, forcing visitors to squeeze between them, and Rest Energy (1980), where Ulay held a drawn bow and arrow pointed at Abramović's heart.
The culmination of their partnership and its dramatic end was The Lovers: The Great Wall Walk in 1988. Originally conceived as a wedding, the performance saw them walk 2,500 kilometers each from opposite ends of the Great Wall of China, meeting in the middle to say goodbye and formally end their relationship. This monumental act became one of the most iconic breakups in art history.
After their separation, Abramović's career soared, while Ulay largely withdrew from the art world for a period. However, a poignant moment of reconciliation occurred in 2010 during Abramović's retrospective at MoMA, The Artist Is Present, when Ulay made a surprise appearance and sat opposite her during her durational performance, leading to an emotional, silent reunion that went viral. Despite this, their relationship faced further strain when Ulay sued Abramović in 2015, alleging she had violated a 1999 contract regarding royalties and authorship of their joint works. In September 2016, a Dutch court ruled in Ulay's favor, ordering Abramović to pay him over €250,000 in back royalties and legal costs.
By 2017, the two artists publicly reconciled again, stating they had found "peace" and were collaborating on a joint memoir. Ulay, born Frank Uwe Laysiepen, passed away on March 2, 2020, in Ljubljana, Slovenia, at the age of 76, due to complications from cancer treatment, a battle he had documented in the 2013 film Project Cancer: Ulay's journal from November to November. Abramović expressed her sadness, acknowledging his exceptional artistry and enduring legacy. Posthumously, Ulay's work has received increased recognition, including a major retrospective, "Ulay Was Here," at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam in November 2020, and his legacy is managed by the Ulay Foundation.
As of March 21, 2026, Marina Abramović continues to be a highly active and celebrated figure in the art world. In January 2026, she unveiled "THE BUS," an immersive installation at the World Economic Forum in Davos, designed to encourage digital detox and present-moment connection. She has several significant exhibitions planned for 2026, including "Seven Deaths – a Cinematic Opera Installation" opening in March 2026 at Cisternerne in Copenhagen, and "Transforming Energy" at the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice, opening in May 2026, which will make her the first living woman artist to have a major solo exhibition at the historic institution. Additionally, her "Balkan Erotic Epic. The Stage Version" is scheduled to open in October 2026 at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele.
What If...?
Explore alternate histories. What if Marina Abramović and Ulay made different choices?