News — Jan 7, 2015

Amsterdam, January 7, 2015 - The Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam is delighted to welcome the artist Ulay (Solingen, 1943) for a series of events around his recent work and practice, including the new performance A Skeleton in the Closet on January 15, a book launch and public interview with performance scholar Amelia Jones on January 9, and a screening of the documentary Project Cancer (2013) on January 10.

Perhaps best known for a series of intensely physical collaborations with Marina Abramović, Ulay has spent five decades blazing a trail of unwavering vitality and unquestionable integrity. His independent work in photography as well as performance is among the most innovative and groundbreaking in 20th century and contemporary art.

January 9: book launch and public interview with Ulay and Amelia Jones
This afternoon is dedicated to the official launch of the publication Whispers: Ulay on Ulay, which offers a comprehensive overview of his oeuvre so far. The book reveals an extremely innovative oeuvre that is coherently rooted in Ulay’s personal life philosophy, which is guided by strong ethical principles. For the official Amsterdam launch of Whispers: Ulay on Ulay, renowned art historian and performance scholar Amelia Jones will present a keynote lecture on the changing position of performance art. Maria Rus Bojan, curator and co-author of Whispers: Ulay on Ulay with Alessandro Cassin, will then introduce the publication and its research premises. The afternoon concludes with a conversation between Ulay and Amelia Jones, focusing more on his contemporary work. Ulay is also available for a book signing.

January 10: documentary Project Cancer (2013)
Saturday the 10th of January is dedicated to the Dutch premiere of Project Cancer (2013), the documentary by Damjan Kozole about the life and work of Ulay. In 2011 the artist was diagnosed with cancer. Framed by his battle with the disease – and subtitled Ulay’s Journal from November to November – this documentary gives space for a vital retrospective on his career.

January 15: new performance A Skeleton in the Closet
The Stedelijk Museum is proud to present a new performance work by an artist who has played such a vital role in the history of performance art, and who continues to expand the field of performance today. In A Skeleton in the Closet, Ulay examines the action of taking the temperature as a means to consider the atmosphere of a social setting. For Ulay, taking the temperature is closely related to both his own photographic practice, as temperature is an essential aspect of the technical (re)production of photographs, and the struggle with his own body since he was diagnosed with cancer in 2011. Performed at the heart of the collection galleries of the Stedelijk Museum, A Skeleton in the Closet creates an intimate setting that first and foremost serves as a social structure for the artist and audience to come together, yet Ulay takes that as a point of departure to venture into his own memory and lifelong connection with the social and artistic fabric of the city of Amsterdam.

More information about the artist

Ulay (Solingen, Germany, 1943) is the pseudonym of Frank Uwe Laysiepen. He was formally trained as a photographer, and between 1968 and 1971 he worked extensively as a consultant for Polaroid. In the early period of his artistic activity (1968-1976) he undertook a thematic search for understandings of the notions of identity and the body on both the personal and communal levels, mainly through series of Polaroid photographs, aphorisms, and intimate performances. At that time, Ulay's photographic approach was becoming increasingly performative and resulted in performative photography (Fototot, 1976). Later, performative tendencies within the medium of photography were transformed completely into the medium of performance and actions (There Is a Criminal Touch to Art, 1976). From 1976 to 1988, he collaborated with Marina Abramović on numerous performances; their work focused on questioning perceived masculine and feminine traits and pushing the physical limits of the body (Relation Works). After breaking with Abramović, Ulay focused on photography, addressing the position of the marginalized individual in contemporary society and re-examining the problem of nationalism and its symbols (Berlin Afterimages, 1994-1995). Nevertheless, although he was working primarily in photography, he remained connected to the question of the “performative,” which resulted in his constant “provocation” of audiences through the realization of numerous performances, workshops, and lecture-performances. In recent years, Ulay has been mostly engaged in projects and artistic initiatives that raise awareness and enhance understanding and appreciation of – and respect for – water (Earth Water Catalogue, 2012). Ulay's work, as well as his collaborative work with Abramović, is featured in the collections of many major art institutions around the world such as the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Centre Pompidou, Paris; and Museum of Modern Art New York. After four decades of living and working in Amsterdam, and undertaking several long-term artistic projects in India, Australia, and China, and a professorship of Performance and New Media Art at the Staatliche Hochschule für Gestaltung, Karlsruhe in Germany. Ulay currently lives and works between Amsterdam and Ljubljana.

Practical information

stedelijk │forum: Ulay & Amelia Jones
Friday January 9, 4:00 - 5:45 pm
Location: Teijin Auditorium, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
Language: English
Admission: Entrance price to the museum + € 2,50
Reservations: via reservations@stedelijk.nl

stedelijk │film: Ulay - Project Cancer (2013)
Saturday January 10, 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.
Location: Teijin Auditorium, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
Language: English
Admission: Entrance price to the museum + € 2,50
Reservations: not required

stedelijk │performance: Ulay - A Skeleton in the Closet
Thursday January 15, 8:00 - 8:30 pm
Location: Room 1.15, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
Language: English
Admission: Entrance price to the museum + € 2,50
Reservations: via reservations@stedelijk.nl

Note to editors:
For more information and images, please contact the Press Office of the Stedelijk Museum, +31 (0)20 573 26 660 / 656 or pressoffice@stedelijk.