Marina Abramović’s exhibition ‘Transforming Energy’ will be opened in Venice in 2026

In 2026, the art world will witness a landmark moment: the Marina Abramović exhibition Transforming Energy at the Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice. Opening on May 6th and running through October 19th, during the 61st Venice Biennale, the show coincides with Abramović’s 80th birthday and marks the first time a living woman artist has been granted a major solo presentation at the museum.

Curated by Shai Baitel, Artistic Director of the Modern Art Museum Shanghai, the exhibition will occupy both the permanent collection galleries and temporary exhibition spaces, a first in the Accademia’s history. Abramović’s work will be set in direct dialogue with Renaissance masterworks, reframing themes of endurance, spirituality, and transformation through her singular vision.

Performance art meets Renaissance masterpieces

At the heart of Transforming Energy is a conversation between past and present. Visitors will encounter Abramović’s celebrated performance art alongside Renaissance icons, creating a bridge between material tradition and immaterial experience. Her Transitory Objects—stone beds and crystal-embedded structures designed for physical interaction—invite audiences to lie, sit, or stand upon them, triggering what Abramović describes as an exchange of energy between object and body.

The exhibition also revisits seminal performances that shaped her career. Works such as Imponderabilia (1977), Rhythm 0 (1974), and Light/Dark (1977) return in video and installation form, underscoring the artist’s exploration of vulnerability, endurance, and human connection.

Iconic performances reframed

Among the highlights is the staging of Pietà (with Ulay) (1983), presented alongside Titian’s final Pietà. This juxtaposition creates a powerful dialogue across centuries, underscoring shared themes of suffering and transcendence. Similarly, Balkan Baroque (1997), Abramović’s haunting meditation on war and memory, will be presented as a reminder of her uncompromising approach to truth and trauma.

Another striking inclusion is Carrying the Skeleton (2008), where Abramović bears a life-sized skeleton on her back, a gesture of resilience and mortality. These iconic performances not only chart the artist’s career but also reaffirm her enduring role as a pioneer of radical artistic expression.

A transformative experience

By situating her practice within the walls of the Accademia, Abramović redefines the relationship between body, art, and history. The exhibition offers visitors not just an opportunity to view art but to participate in an active, meditative encounter—an invitation to slow down, to feel presence, and to consider the possibility of inner change.

As Abramović herself reflected in recent statements, returning to Venice for her 80th birthday feels both personal and historic. Transforming Energy will stand as a milestone not only in her career but also in the evolution of how museums embrace contemporary practice within their historic collections.

As we await this highly anticipated exhibition, we invite you to read our interview with Marina Abramović and Michèle Lamy. In their dialogue on failure, freedom, and the body as art, they map the limits—and possibilities—of human expression.