MARINA ABRAMOVIĆ: THE HERO 25FPS
A Performance Minted On The Blockchain
? 6,500 Unique Frames (.JPG or .GIF)
? 150GBP Per Frame
? Tezos
A PERFORMANCE MINTED
ON THE TEZOS BLOCKCHAIN
For this, her first performance in the Web3 space, Marina Abramović is revisiting one of her most personal and autobiographical works titled The Hero. Filmed at 25 frames per second, never before seen footage has been separated into thousands of unique single frames, each one dramatically influenced by the changing wind to create The Hero 25FPS.
We never set out to create an NFT – it came as a surprise. The Hero (2001) was originally filmed in PAL (square format) so we did a lot of post-production work to fill out the screen in Piccadilly Circus with this beautiful landscape. It took months of editing each frame because I wanted the image to envelop the audience. I believe that ideas have to come as a surprise – frame by frame something new emerged from the stillness.
We discovered how the movement of the flag in the wind took on a new beauty and significance with each frame. No two frames were the same. The wind, the flag – they danced together, moving like a breathing organism. From one work, we are now giving birth to thousands of unique NFTs. This is very modern. This is a very Aquarian Age.
Featuring never before seen footage from her studio archive, audiences will be invited on 25 July 2022 at 2pm UTC to collect either a single unique frame (.JPG) or multiple unique frames (.GIF) to determine how The Hero 25FPS is minted on the Tezos blockchain. Starting from £150 per frame, a percentage of the funds generated will be donated by Marina Abramović to create Hero Grants:
I am inviting people working within Web3 to submit ideas on the nft.circa.art website [scroll down]. Ideas that make the world a better, more beautiful place. People who demonstrate heroic vision will then receive a grant in the coming months. I want to see what other ideas people have in this Web3 space to help save our planet. The grants we shall award from The Hero 25FPS is my small way of contributing to this future.
– Marina Abramović, The Art Newspaper
One of Abramović’s most personal and autobiographical works filmed after the death of her father Vojo, who was a national hero, The Hero was originally recorded in the summer of 2001, a few weeks before the events of 9/11 shook the world and shaped the reality of the coming generation. Like Rhythm 0 (1974) and The Artist Is Present (2010), The Hero (2001) emphasises the aspect of stillness and endurance that runs like a thread through much of her work.
I filmed The Hero in 2001 when nobody had smartphones and social media didn’t exist. Twenty years later, we live in this new world and I find myself experimenting with how I could express this old work in a new medium. I asked myself how I could communicate with this younger generation who perhaps weren’t even alive when The Hero was first created. You have to consider the future when making art.
“Art must look forward.”
Since the early 1970s, Marina Abramović has been pushing past perceived limits of the body and mind, and exploring the complex relationship between artist and audience through performances that challenge both herself and, in many instances, participants emotionally, intellectually, and physically. The concepts inspiring her works are key, as is the use of her own body to convey her ideas. She has been making art since childhood, and realised early on that it did not have to be produced in a studio, or even take a concrete form. “I understood that…I could make art with everything…and the most important [thing] is the concept,” she relates. “And this was the beginning of my performance art. And the first time I put my body in front of [an] audience, I understood: this is my media.”
“Having the courage to face the unknown is so important. An artist should never stop taking risks, even when they are 75.”
The Hero 25FPS coincides with a three month CIRCA presentation of The Hero broadcasting every evening at 20:22 (local time) across a global network of screens (London, Seoul, Dublin, Milan, Berlin, Japan and New York) to invite the world to consider and assume new definitions of heroism: “Our planet needs uncorrupted heroes with morality, who embody courage and bring real change. Every day in this world is a shaky, uncertain, constantly changing landscape. For CIRCA 2022, we have this white horse. This white flag. This beautiful land. We need heroes that can bring new light to illuminate us. Heroes that can inspire us to be better, and to work together, not against each other. Heroes who care.”
OWN A PIECE OF
PERFORMANCE ART HISTORY
THE HERO 25FPS GRANTS
A call for today’s new heroes! Upon completion of The Hero 25FPS, Marina Abramović and CIRCA will award a series of grants to people working within the Web3 space who demonstrate a desire to make the world a better place.
I’ve been reading about Web3 and about what the new generation is doing within that space. It’s undoubtedly the future. I can barely type an email and they’re raising millions to help people and save the rainforest. They are heroes. They are pioneering in a way that is similar to how I was pushing boundaries in the 1970s with my performance art. Everyone called me crazy. Very few people believed in what I was doing at the time.
Instead of donating a percentage of the money to charity, I will award grants to a group of people who are working within this new space and whom I believe in. If we succeed in building this new community, I’m excited to see what possibilities might emerge later.
I think the next step is to look even deeper. It is about finding solutions to the ongoing catastrophe and who can bring the solution? The heroes. The ones who sacrifice everything. The ones who bring the new light to illuminate this world. If I was starting out today, this is what I would be doing. What Nadya Tolokonnikova achieved in March – raising $6.7 million for Ukraine relief efforts – it’s incredible.
I want to see what other ideas people have in this Web3 space to help save the planet. The grants we will award from The Hero NFT project is my small way of contributing to this future.
SUBMIT A CONCEPT BELOW FOR A WEB3 PROJECT THAT
INVITES POSITIVE CHANGE INTO THE REAL WORLD.
FAQs
- What is an NFT?
NFT stands for Non-Fungible Token. “Non-fungible” means that it is completely unique. “Token” means that it can be transferred on a blockchain. Essentially, NFTs are assets that carry a unique digital identity and can be traded between users on a public blockchain like Tezos. Common examples of NFTs include artwork, trading cards, comic books, sports collectibles, games and more. Although NFTs tend to be associated with artwork, they actually represent much more. - What is CIRCA?
The Cultural Institute of Radical Contemporary Art (CIRCA) in London commissions new ideas from emerging and established artists. Broadcasting across a global network of screens, each month we sell limited edition prints by our exhibiting artists to generate funds for the #CIRCAECONOMY – a circular model designed to support our free public art programme and create life-changing opportunities for the creative community. - What is Tezos?
Tezos is an energy-efficient blockchain where developers, artists, entrepreneurs, brands, and others from around the world build and engage with a network of decentralized applications. - What is the environmental impact when minting an NFT on Tezos?
Tezos is an energy-efficient and self-upgradable Proof of Stake blockchain with an average energy footprint of 17 global citizens. - What will be the payment options?
Built-in payment options will allow both crypto novices and enthusiasts to collect NFTs. If paid using cryptocurrencies, the Tezos currency will be required. - Do I need to set up a wallet?
Click here to open your Tezos wallet in a few super simple steps.
Have a question for us? E-mail info@circa.art or tweet @circa__art