Renowned performance artist Marina Abramović will mark her 80th birthday with a major career-spanning exhibition at Venice's prestigious Gallerie dell'Accademia in 2026. The show, titled "Marina Abramović: Transforming Energy," will run from May 6 through October 19, 2026, coinciding with the 61st edition of the Venice Biennale, which opens on May 9.
This exhibition represents a significant milestone for the artist, who is widely considered the most well-known performance artist in the world. The timing of the show during the Venice Biennale provides an exceptional platform for celebrating Abramović's eighth decade and extensive artistic career.
"Transforming Energy" previously appeared at the Modern Art Museum in Shanghai during fall 2024, where it featured 150 artworks. Many of these pieces are unique furniture-sculpture hybrids that incorporate precious materials including quartz, amethyst, and tourmaline, demonstrating Abramović's innovative approach to blending functional objects with artistic expression.
Venice holds deep personal significance for Abramović, dating back to her first visit to the Venice Biennale with her mother in 1960, when she traveled from her native Serbia to the Italian city. "[Venice] was so incredibly beautiful—unlike anything I had ever seen," Abramović told Artnet. She explained that returning to Venice has since become a cherished tradition, and after receiving the Golden Lion award in 1997, "the city has always held a special place in my life."
The upcoming exhibition at the Accademia will be particularly groundbreaking in its presentation format. Abramović's "transitory objects"—a term the artist specifically prefers over "sculpture" because, as she explained to Art in America last year, "the object is not the point; the energy is"—will be installed throughout the historic 14th-century building alongside the museum's permanent collection.
While the Accademia has previously hosted contemporary exhibitions, including Anish Kapoor's show in 2022, this marks the first time a contemporary artist's work will be placed in direct dialogue with the museum's extensive collection of Renaissance masterpieces. The permanent collection includes works by legendary artists such as Titian, Tintoretto, Giorgione, and Mantegna.
One of the most compelling artistic pairings planned for the exhibition will showcase Abramović's 1983 photograph "Pietà (with Ulay)" displayed alongside Titian's final painting, "Pietà" (1575-76). In Abramović's photograph, she cradles the body of her former partner and artistic collaborator Ulay across her lap while wearing a red strapless dress, creating a powerful contemporary interpretation of the classical pietà theme that will resonate with Titian's Renaissance masterpiece.
