World premiere erotic epic from Marina Abramovic

Recreation of a scene from Balkan folklore

With a cast of 70-plus dancers, musicians and singers, the world premiere of Balkan Erotic Epic, from internationally renowned performance artist Marina Abramovic, is the latest blockbuster production for Manchester's vast Aviva Studios (October 9-19).

Following the world premiere in Manchester, Factory International will tour Balkan Erotic Epic, starting in Barcelona in January.

Rooted in the artist’s Balkan heritage, the show combines dance, song and ritual to explore desire, spirituality and our connection to nature, reflecting Abramovic’s continuing exploration of the body, sexuality and the limits of human experience.

From a fevered ritual where bodies writhe against the ground in a desperate call for fertility, to a scene where women gesticulate over graves to awaken the earth, audiences are invited to navigate through the performance – with pop-up encounters punctuating the action, from intimate scenes to feverish dances and songs.

Marina Abramovic. Pic: Carlo Bach

Abramovic said: “Today, we label anything erotic as pornography. Balkan Erotic Epic is the most ambitious work in my career and gives me a chance to go back to my Slavic roots and culture, look back to ancient rituals and deal with sexuality in relation to the universe and the unanswered questions of our existence.

"Through this project I would like to show poetry, desperation, pain, hope, suffering, and reflect our own mortality."

John McGrath, artistic director and chief executive of Aviva Studios-based Factory International, said: "Marina is one of the most influential artists of our time, connecting with audiences across the globe. This new work offers an unmissable opportunity for audiences to experience the next chapter of her creative life - bold, immersive and on a scale that’s truly unprecedented."

Balkan Erotic Epic has been commissioned by Factory International, Berliner Festspiele, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Park Avenue Armory and WestK,and is produced by Factory International.

Abramovic will give an artist talk celebrating the world premiere at Aviva Studios on October 11.

More info and tickets here