Part sketchbook, part diary and part personal philosophy, Marina Abramović’s Long Life, Short Stories offers an intimate glimpse into the memories, dreams and private reflections behind her celebrated performance practice. Published on October 6th, 2026, the illustrated volume features original drawings and personal stories spanning love, loss, sex, fear, nature, ancestry and creativity, including a chapter devoted to love spells and dreams.
Moving between the mystical, the provocative and the unexpectedly humorous, Abramović’s writing traces the experiences and ideas that have shaped her life, touching on the limits of the body, vulnerability, time and human connection. The book offers a personal counterpoint to an artistic career defined by endurance, risk and radical encounters with audiences.
Beyond the performance
Born in Belgrade, Abramović pioneered performance art in the early 1970s, testing the physical and psychological limits of performer and spectator. Works such as Rhythm 0 (1974) and Rhythm 5 (1974) established her uncompromising approach, while her 2010 MoMA retrospective, The Artist Is Present, saw her perform for more than 700 hours.
As Abramović celebrates her eightieth birthday in 2026, Long Life, Short Stories offers another perspective on her legacy, revealing the personal stories behind the public persona. Her wider projects include the Marina Abramović Institute, founded in 2007 to support the study and preservation of long-duration performance.
An evening at Rizzoli Bookstore
Abramović will celebrate the book’s publication at Rizzoli Bookstore in New York on Thursday, October 29th, 2026, at 6 pm. The event offers audiences an opportunity to encounter the artist through her own words and reflect on the experiences behind her influential practice.
Tickets include a pre-signed bookplate copy of Long Life, Short Stories. Abramović will not sign books at the event, though signed copies are also available to order online.
Through stories, drawings and intimate reflections, Long Life, Short Stories offers a rare glimpse into Marina Abramović’s inner world. Join Michèle Lamy and Marina Abramović as they discuss artistic freedom, the body’s expressive power and what it means to live and create beyond convention.
