Marina Abramović's Manifesto

1. An artist’s conduct in his life: 

– An artist should not lie to himself or others 
– An artist should not steal ideas from other artists 
– An artist should not compromise for themselves or in regards to the art market 
– An artist should not kill other human beings 
– An artist should not make themselves into an idol 
– An artist should not make themselves into an idol 
– An artist should not make themselves into an idol 

2. An artist’s relation to his love life: 

– An artist should avoid falling in love with another artist 
– An artist should avoid falling in love with another artist 
– An artist should avoid falling in love with another artist 

3. An artist’s relation to the erotic: 

– An artist should develop an erotic point of view on the world 
– An artist should be erotic 
– An artist should be erotic 

– An artist should be erotic 

4. An artist’s relation to suffering: 

– An artist should suffer 
– From the suffering comes the best work 
– Suffering brings transformation 
– Through the suffering an artist transcends their spirit 
– Through the suffering an artist transcends their spirit 
– Through the suffering an artist transcends their spirit 

5. An artist’s relation to depression:

– An artist should not be depressed 
– Depression is a disease and should be cured 
– Depression is not productive for an artist
– Depression is not productive for an artist 
– Depression is not productive for an artist 

6. An artist’s relation to suicide: 

– Suicide is a crime against life 
– An artist should not commit suicide 
– An artist should not commit suicide 
– An artist should not commit suicide 

7. An artist’s relation to inspiration: 

– An artist should look deep inside themselves for inspiration 
– The deeper they look inside themselves, the more universal they become 
– The artist is universe 
– The artist is universe 
– The artist is universe 

8. An artist’s relation to self-control: 

– The artist should not have self-control about his life 
– The artist should have total self-control about his work 
– The artist should not have self-control about his life 
– The artist should have total self-control about his work 

9. An artist’s relation with transparency: 

– The artist should give and receive at the same time 
– Transparency means receptive 
– Transparency means to give 
– Transparency means to receive 
– Transparency means receptive 
– Transparency means to give 
– Transparency means to receive 
– Transparency means receptive 
– Transparency means to give 
– Transparency means to receive 

10. An artist’s relation to symbols: 

– An artist creates his own symbols 
– Symbols are an artist’s language 
– The language must then be translated 
– Sometimes it is difficult to find the key 
– Sometimes it is difficult to find the key 
– Sometimes it is difficult to find the key

11. An artist’s relation to silence: 

– An artist has to understand silence 
– An artist has to create a space for silence to enter his work 
– Silence is like an island in the middle of a turbulent ocean 
– Silence is like an island in the middle of a turbulent ocean 
– Silence is like an island in the middle of a turbulent ocean 

12. An artist’s relation to solitude: 

– An artist must make time for the long periods of solitude 
– Solitude is extremely important 
– Away from home 
– Away from the studio 
– Away from family
– Away from friends 
– An artist should stay for long periods of time at waterfalls 
– An artist should stay for long periods of time at exploding volcanoes 
– An artist should stay for long periods of time looking at the fast running rivers 
– An artist should stay for long periods of time looking at the horizon where the ocean and sky meet 
– An artist should stay for long periods of time looking at the stars in the night sky 

13. An artist’s conduct in relation to work: 

– An artist should avoid going to the studio every day
– An artist should not treat his work schedule as a bank employee does 
– An artist should explore life and work only when an idea comes to him in a dream or during the day as a vision that arises as a surprise 
– An artist should not repeat himself 
– An artist should not overproduce 
– An artist should avoid his own art pollution 
– An artist should avoid his own art pollution 
– An artist should avoid his own art pollution 

14. An artist’s possessions: 

– Buddhist monks advise that it is best to have nine possessions in their life: 
1 robe for the summer 
1 robe for the winter 
1 pair of shoes 
1 begging bowl for food 
1 mosquito net 
1 prayer book 
1 umbrella 
1 mat to sleep on 
1 pair of glasses if needed 
– An artist should decide for himself the minimum personal possessions they should have 
– An artist should have more and more of less and less 
– An artist should have more and more of less and less 
– An artist should have more and more of less and less

15. A list of an artist’s friends: 

– An artist should have friends that lift their spirits 
– An artist should have friends that lift their spirits 
– An artist should have friends that lift their spirits 

16. A list of an artist’s enemies: 

– Enemies are very important 
– The Dalai Lama has said that it is easy to have compassion with friends but much more difficult to have compassion with enemies 
– An artist has to learn to forgive 
– An artist has to learn to forgive 
– An artist has to learn to forgive 

17. Different death scenarios: 

– An artist has to be aware of his own mortality 
– For an artist, it is not only important how he lives his life but also how he dies 
– An artist should look at the symbols of his work for the signs of different death scenarios
– An artist should die consciously without fear 
– An artist should die consciously without fear 
– An artist should die consciously without fear 

18. Different funeral scenarios: 

– An artist should give instructions before the funeral so that everything is done the way he wants it 
– The funeral is the artist’s last art piece before leaving 
– The funeral is the artist’s last art piece before leaving 
– The funeral is the artist’s last art piece before leaving

Marcas

Acho que sempre quis, mesmo que inconscientemente, deixar uma marca na vida das pessoas que me importam. Marcas positivas, claro. Talvez por isso tenha cultivado a mania de sair entregando meus desenhos para elas. É como se eles fossem um lembrete, um "hey, estive na sua vida em algum momento, e me importei com você, por isso não me jogue fora".

Às vezes desejei não ter "desperdiçado" um desenho, desejei ter rasgado, como se fosse um grande "NÃO ME IMPORTO MAIS, então não quero que você lembre de mim", mas não fiz. E que bom que não. 

Coisas boas não devem ser jogadas fora, não devem ser rasgadas. Já temos chatices e coisas ruins demais na vida para destruir um desenho. 

Gestos.
Gestos sempre me interessaram, sempre me atraíram.
Na verdade, a palavra não é bem "gestos", mas sim, "movimentos".
Movimentos mesmo, literalmente.
Sempre me pego prestando atenção no jeito como alguém move a boca ao falar, ou como determinada pessoa se move em um videoclipe. Volto 50 vezes o vídeo para ver aquele pequeno movimento, aquele virar de olhos, um começo de sorriso, qualquer coisa que atraia o meu olhar.
Me apaixono por pessoas, mas ainda mais pelas suas vozes e pelo modo como se movem.

E é assim.

E voltei.

Canalha Não Senhor. Cara Claro.

Realmente, eu não entendo o motivo de algumas mulheres não gostarem do tipo de homem que chega já dizendo/demonstrando o que quer: sexo. Eles estão sendo sinceros, claros e não estão fazendo promessas ou propostas futuras que são puramente mentiras. Não são eles que merecem os xingamentos, raivas e revoltas.

Aqueles que chegam, bonitinhos, com 500 coisas em comum entre literatura, música e cinema, os que dizem que seu beijo é bom, os que mandam vídeos de bandas pra você, estes sim, são os que vão mudar de ideia sobre tudo na primeira oportunidade e não vão se importar se você mudou também ou ficou chateadinha. E, vejam só, a mudança ocorre de qualquer forma, indo pra cama ou não.

Escroto é aquele que diz que não gosta de joguinho e, na maior cara de pau, joga. Jogo não é coisa de mulherzinha não, é coisa de gente filha da puta, dos dois lados.

Sendo assim, falemos todos as verdades, and everybody is gonna be happy.

Melancolia

"Melancolia" é um daqueles filmes para serem vistos mais de uma vez. E também é um daqueles tapões na cara que podem servir de prova para muitas das minhas opiniões e teorias internas.

A ideia de que todos nós, em algum momento, seremos atingidos - com força - pela melancolia é incrivelmente transmitida de uma maneira surreal. Como é dito no filme: não tem como se esconder, não tem pra onde fugir.

E fica claro que simplesmente não importa a quantidade de coisas supostamente boas e desejáveis existam na sua vida - não estou falando aqui sob uma perspectiva puramente material -, pois nem assim você estará salvo. Não existe vacina.

Além de tudo, fica o questionamento da obrigação que nos impomos e que os demais nos impõem de sermos felizes. O fato é que não é assim que as coisas funcionam, não rola felicidade na marra, só porque devemos tê-la. Ser/estar triste não é - ou não deveria ser - condenável.

Let's be happy being sad.

Blue, Red, White and Wine.

The sickness of the cold sweat in his pale skin. He didn't knew why but, for some reason, the sensation wasn't totally bad.

"Actually", he thought, "it's almost pleasent".

His head was leaning in the bathroom marble sink and his hands were each one at each side of his body, hanging, pathetically weak.

He raised his head and stared at himself in the mirror. Pale blue eyes, ginger hair, all glowing. Then came the revelation:

"I'm a masochist".

Two blinks from the pale guy in front of him.

Now it was all as clear as the water dripping from the tap. That was why he was drinking seven times a week and playing his violin until the pain in his fingers was excruciating. And, of course, for the same reason he waited for the cold sweat every morning.

All those shitty things were making him feel alive. The only things capable of doing that since..

"when?", he thought.

He couldn't remember. Probably started around the same time that his friends walked away from him. He had the funny feeling that they all went away for the same reason.

"I must have done something unforgivable."

Again, he didn't know what.

"I should see a psicologist, a shrink, an analyst, shit, I don't know, something like that."

He lay down on the cold and white floor, feeling much better.

"Tomorrow I'll think better about this idea and search for some help on the phone list."

His fingers touched the wine bottle's glass beside him.

"Tomorrow, maybe."

All gone.

E eu me esqueci do que é querer algo. E querendo lembrar, vou esquecendo cada vez mais.

Parece que não sobra nada de interessante. Nada agrada, nada me faz desejar.

O desenho, o trabalho, o platonismo(!). Não sobrou nada.

Nem a escrita.