602 photographs

The definitive guide to the life and work of Marina Abramovic, the world's most famous performance artist. Combining brand-new interviews, never-before-seen images and fascinating ephemera, this book is a testament to the extraordinary life and work of one of our most courageous and groundbreaking artists, and is published to coincide with the opening of Abramovic's Royal Academy exhibition - the first major show by a female artist in the Academy's 255-year history. Agreeing to answer any question that was posed, Abramovic embarked on 17 months of candid interviews conducted by her friend and confidante, Katya Tylevich.

The result is a monolithic retrospective that takes us from the humble beginnings of a shy child sitting at the back of the class, to fearless pioneer, conquering and subverting the art world with boundary-pushing performances, and concluding with her most profound personal experience to date. Over 600 images from Abramovic's personal archives set these captivating memories alight, creating a fascinating, visual landscape and demonstrating the inextricably intertwined nature of her life and work. A breathtakingly intimate journey, we are led across deserts, oceans and cities to explore extreme highs and lows, all the while marvelling at how Abramovic approaches every success and setback with her signature humour and wit.

Never shying away from the truth, no stone is left unturned, and Abramovic's fearlessness imbues every page.

Katya Tylevich is an arts and fiction writer. She is author of Gus Van Sant: The Art of Making Movies, Art Oracles, Success Oracles, many book and monograph contributions, essays and interviews, and co-author of My Life as a Work of Art. Notable artist collaborations include The Marina Abramovic Method Cards, the text for Michaël Borremans' The Acrobat, as well as projects with Barry McGee, Todd Hido, and Espen Deitrichson. Katya spent years as contributing editor and writer for publications such as Elephant, Mark, Frame, Domus, and Pin-Up. With her brother Alexei she co-founded Friend & Colleague, a platform for editions, fiction and special projects. She is currently working on a fiction book titled Fear Eats the Soup. katyatylevich.com