The Great Wall

The performance, which was conceived as a joyful, solemn event, turned out to be ultimately sad. In 1980, Abramovic and Ulay decided to get married. They decided to go through the Great Wall of China along its entire length from different sides and, converging in the middle, swear love and loyalty to each other. But the Chinese authorities did not permit them to hold the event for eight years. When, finally, permission was obtained, the relationship of the artists reached a deadlock. Though Marina and Ulay did not abandon their ideas – they crossed the Chinese Wall (each 2.5 thousand kilometers); meeting in the middle, they said goodbye to each other and went their separate ways.