The most striking piece that became ingrained in my mind was a performance she did many years ago, where she sat and continuously ate three onions in front of a camera with bright red lips and nails. She gagged and cried as she forcibly took large bites out of the onion, while a voice over played in the background about how she was tired of the routines and obligations she chose to attend to in her life. The experience of watching her perform was unsettling and devistating.
As I watched her other performances, I began to explore questions about how much power physical pain really has over me and whether or not it should be that way. I thought about the notion of public nudity and public humiliation as I watched some of her videos. One of her performances consisted of Marina and her male partner standing in the middle of a garage in the nude as they continuously slammed their bodies onto podiums in front of a large crowd. I remember hearing one girl laughing in the background, and thought about the kinds of characteristics a strong person would have to have in order to stand confidently in front of another person who has opposing opinions. Watching her perform made me want to become a braver person.
During her discussion Marina talked about the act of being completely present during a performance and experiencing every moment with complete consciousness.
I really enjoyed hearing her visit to AU! She has a very calm and confident presence that I found to be slightly intimidating. Overall I learned alot and found the experience of watching her talk and perform to be worthwhile.
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