In the current social-political setting, in which movement is more limited than ever, and human bodies are restricted by physical distancing, 'ULAY: From Berlin to Paris' focuses on two different displays of ULAY's physical and mental stamina – one in Berlin and one in Paris. 

 

Irritation - There is a Criminal Touch to Art (1976), the documented theft of painting from the Neue National Galerie, Berlin, marked a temporary end to ULAY's career as a solo artist and the beginning of his collaborative practice with Marina ABRAMOVIĆ. Invited to exhibit Irritation – There is a Criminal Touch to Art as part of the 10th Biennale de Paris in 1977, ULAY and Abramović arrived in their Citröen van and clandestinely performed Relation in Movement, driving round and round in a circle for 16 hours straight.

Like other works by ULAY and Abramović from the Relation series, epically important in the history of performance art, Relation in Movement is focused on pushing the physical limitations of mind and body. Performed in the outdoor marble courtyard of the Musée d'art moderne de la ville de Paris, with ULAY driving at the wheel, Abramović shouts out the number of completed laps through a megaphone. At night, only the lights from the headlights are visible and when the sun comes up, a black circle of tyre marks has appeared, the ground further stained by leaking fluids. Lasting for 16 hours without food, water, or sleep, this was an act of physical endurance and concentration for the duo. Eventually, the van’s engine gave up - overheated and out of fuel - ending the performance. Described by Ulay as cathartic and minimalistic, the performance is groundbreaking in its sobriety and intensity, a manifestation of the urge to continue, to go on and on.