A performance artist sued the Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMA), alleging that it failed to take corrective action after
several visitors groped him
during a nude performance for the
2010
retrospective “
Marina Abramovic
:
The Artist is Present.”
The allegations were filed this week in the New York Supreme Court, and the artist,
John Bonafede
, is seeking damages for emotional distress, career interruption, humiliation and other damages.
Bonafede had participated in one of Abramovic's most famous performances of the 1970s,
“Imponderabilia,”
which requires two naked performers to stand facing each other in the frame of a narrow door through which visitors are encouraged to walk. pass.
John Bonafede.
Photo: The New York Times
According to his lawsuit, Bonafede was sexually assaulted
seven times by
five museum
visitors .
He reported four of the individuals to
MoMA security guards
, who expelled them from the galleries, according to the lawsuit.
The fifth attack was detected directly by security.
Bonafede said in legal documents that MoMA officials, however,
“looked the other way”
at the attacks and created a hostile work environment, where artists were expected to
submit to the actions of the public.
The lawsuit takes place almost 14 years after the exhibition.
New York's Adult Survivors Act, which gave people an additional window to file complaints of sexual misconduct, expired
in November
, but there was an agreement to
extend
this case.
"John believes there should be cutting-edge performing arts like this at major institutions," said his attorney, Jordan Fletcher.
"But his goal here is to make sure that
the artists receive proper care and that their safety is guaranteed
."
Marina Abramovic.
In Madrid, in 2021. Photo: EFE
MoMA did not respond to queries.
Abramovic also did not comment on the accusations, although the plaintiff is not taking action against her.
The 2010 retrospective was one of the most defining museum exhibitions in recent history, helping to
legitimize performance
within the art world and turning the Serbian artist into a global celebrity whose tough preparation for the exhibition was immortalized in the documentary from 2012's
The Artist Is Present
.
But the exhibition was exhausting for many artists.
Some participants reported
fainting
in the galleries and the museum subsequently shortened their work hours to prevent exhaustion.
Others complained that guests
touched their bodies
inappropriately and made
rude comments
about their appearance.
At the time, MoMA said it was “well aware of the challenges posed by having nude artists in galleries” and that there had been conversations “to ensure that artists felt comfortable at all times.”
Bonafede,
50
, is a performance artist who presents works in small spaces in New York.
He is also a student of
Tibetan painting
and helped found a nonprofit organization for children in eastern Tibet.
Abramovic first staged “Imponderabilia” in 1977 with her lover and collaborator Ulay.
She recently presented the artwork during a
retrospective
at the Royal Academy of Arts in London with some minor
modifications
and a rotating cast of 37 artists.
If visitors felt uncomfortable passing between a naked man and woman, they were allowed to go through another entrance located to the left and skip the experience.
Abramovic told the
New York Times
that he had “millions of meetings” with the Royal Academy and committed to staging pieces like “Imponderabilia.”
He explained that modifying his artwork caused him an internal conflict.
Zachary Small, The New York Times
Translation: Elisa Carnelli