For those closely monitoring MoMA's Flickr account, which gets updated with portraits of each visitor that sits across from Marina Abramović, some familiar faces have popped up. But today we're not talking James Franco, we're talking Paco Blancas, a NYC-based make-up artist who has sat across from the legendary performance artist 14 times (and counting). One of the museum's interns tracked him down recently and grilled the (former) mystery man on his penchant for popping up in front of Marina.
In the interview Blancas explains why he keeps coming back, saying: "It’s hard to explain but it’s almost like you feel this force, it draws you in, like a magnet. Sitting with her is a transforming experience—it’s luminous, it’s uplifting, it has many layers, but it always comes back to being present, breathing, maintaining eye contact. It’s an amazing journey... Also, I love meeting people in line. I’ve met a lot of people and have made a lot of new friends, many of them artists, but really all sorts of people. I keep in touch with them and we e-mail constantly to talk about our experiences. It’s like a little community of people who come to participate in the piece." Marina groupies, they exist!
