After presenting 7 Deaths of Maria Callas at the Liceu in 2023, Marina Abramović returns with Balkan Erotic Epic, one of her boldest and most provocative works—this time in powerful collaboration with acclaimed choreographer Blenard Azizaj. Fusing Abramović’s radical performance art with Azizaj’s visceral, emotionally charged choreography, the piece unfolds as a hybrid of dance, ritual, and Balkan folklore. Rooted in the region’s complex history and cultural identity, Balkan Erotic Epic explores the body as a site of desire, conflict, and transformation. Through a series of symbolic, ritualistic acts and raw, untamed movement, the work delves into eroticism not as spectacle but as a force that challenges societal norms around sexuality, gender, and power. With evocative lighting, minimalist staging, and music drawn from Balkan traditions, this striking collaboration blurs the boundaries between the grotesque and the sublime—offering a fierce, physical, and deeply poetic meditation on the limits of human experience.
Concept and Artistic Direction: Marina Abramović
Choreography: Blenard Azizaj
Direction: Georgine Balk
Scenography: Anna Schöttl
Costumes: Roksanda Ilinčić
Composition: Marko Nikodijević
Lighting Design: Urs Schönebaum
Sound Design: Luka Kozlovacki
Commissioned by: Factory International (Manchester), Berliner Festspiele, and Gran Teatre del Liceu
Production: Factory International, Manchester
Photography: Marco Anelli
For
Factory International Manchester x Marina Abramovic
Year
2025
