Portrait with Skulls #171

From the outset, Marina Abramović's practice has pushed the limits of experimental art, with actions that function as purification rituals in her quest for an absolute freedom. This work belongs to the broader series titled The Balkans and is deeply intertwined with her performance Nude with Skeleton. The piece draws inspiration from an ancient Tibetan tradition, where monks meditate on impermanence by sleeping in cemeteries alongside decaying corpses. In Self-Portrait with Skeleton, Abramović confronts the inevitability of her own death, using the skeletal form as both a companion and a mirror.