Marina Abramović reveals funeral plans

Marina Abramović has revealed plans for her own funeral. The Serbian performance artist, 67, wants it to include a colourful dress code, black comedy and live music.

Abramović stated that she wanted three Marinas to be buried (one real and two fake), in Belgrade, Amsterdam and New York. Where her actual body will be buried is to remain a secret. She joked that those attending the funeral would be forced to dress in her signature black “like a cockroach”, but then added that she would insist on bright colours. Although she has never asked him, Abramović said that she wants “Antony of Antony and the Johnsons to sing I Did It My Way”.

Abramović is motivated by the funeral of friend Susan Sontag, which took place in the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris in 2004: “It was the saddest funeral I’ve been to in my life […] I went back to New York and went straight to the lawyer and said my funeral is going to be like this. And then I made an entire script.”

The performance artist shared her plans in a keynote speech in Sydney, during her 12-day residency for Kaldor Public Art Projects. She read from her manifesto, stating that “an artist should die consciously without fear” and that “the funeral is the artist’s last piece before leaving”.