Marina Abramovic’s first virtual reality artwork to be presented at the 58th Venice Biennale

We are delighted to announce that Rising, a virtual reality artwork by Marina Abramović, will be presented by Phi during the 58th Venice Biennale at Palazzo Ca’ Rezzonico opening May 6.

Marina Abramović’s virtual reality piece addresses climate change by transporting viewers to witness the effects of rising sea levels. Wearing an immersive headset, viewers enter an intimate virtual space, where they come face-to-face with the artist, who beckons from within a glass tank that is slowly filling with water. Visitors are invited to make contact with the virtual Abramović, finding themselves surrounded by a dramatic scene of melting polar ice caps. Abramović urges viewers to reconsider their impact on the world around them, asking them to choose whether or not to save her from drowning by pledging to support the environment, which lowers the water level in the tank. 

This project sees Phi, a leading arts and cultural organisation based in Montreal, establishing an ephemeral cultural centre at the Palazzo Ca’ Rezzonico that will showcase their commitment to the intersection between art and technology and solidify their position at the forefront of exploration into how future generations will consume culture.

Abramović’s Rising will be shown alongside a mixed-media installation entitled Invasor. The venue is currently closed for install of a new work. Rising will be on view again from July 22.