NEW YORK, NY.- Sean Kelly congratulates Marina Abramović on being awarded the 2025 Praemium Imperiale for Sculpture, one of the world’s most prestigious honors recognizing lifetime achievement in the arts. Presented annually by the Japan Art Association, the Praemium Imperiale celebrates outstanding artists across five disciplines, Sculpture, Painting, Architecture, Music, and Theatre/Film, whose contributions have had a profound impact on global culture. Often referred to as the "Nobel Prize of the Arts," the Praemium Imperiale was established in 1989 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Japan Art Association and to honor the legacy of its longtime patron, Prince Takamatsu, who died in 1987.

A visionary pioneer in performance art, Marina Abramović has redefined the limits of artistic practice through her exploration of physical and mental endurance. Using her body as both medium and subject, Abramović has transformed the role of the audience from passive viewer to active participant. Born in the former Yugoslavia, she first captured international attention in 1974 with Rhythm 0, a seminal performance in which she invited the public to interact with her body using a series of objects, prompting powerful reflections on vulnerability, trust, and control. Abramović’s impact on contemporary art has been recognized with numerous accolades, including the prestigious Golden Lion awards at the Venice Biennale in 1997. In 2010, her landmark retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York featured The Artist Is Present, a silent durational performance in which she sat across from visitors for more than 700 hours. The work became a cultural phenomenon, setting attendance records for the museum and solidifying her reputation as one of the most influential artists of our time. Her most recent major solo exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, London in 2023 marked a historic moment as she became the first woman in the institution’s 250-year history to occupy the entire gallery space.

With the awarding of the 2025 Praemium Imperiale, Marina Abramović joins a distinguished list of laureates whose visionary practices have shaped the evolution of contemporary art.