The Arrangement With X

Marina Markovic’s project, The Arrangement, is a multimedia exploration of the power dynamics between the female body and societal pressures, institutions, and the art market. The project focuses on the skin as a mediator between personal choices and external expectations, inviting galleries and institutions to tattoo their logos on her body to further examine the power dynamics between them and herself. Through this act, Marina questions the permanent marks left on one’s body and the control institutions have over people’s lives and experiences, much like Foucault’s carceral system.

The project is a play on words, with Marina being both controlled by the scripted environment of the art world and in control of her body and the arrangement of elements within her project. The power dynamic is constantly shifting, and Marina’s work reveals the evasive locus of control in the art world. She communicates through the skin, luring us into the corporate reality of institutional structures while exposing the hollowness and inconsequential connections often present in human relationships.

Marina’s project draws from various references, including the historical purpose of tattoos in determining one’s identity and the duality of institutions controlling both objects on display and the people within their space. The Arrangement is meticulously designed to maintain control, even in the face of unpredictability, with Marina choosing the body parts available for tattooing.

In conclusion, The Arrangement is a thought-provoking exploration of power dynamics and control within the art world and society at large. Marina’s use of her body as a canvas highlights the physical and emotional impact of external pressures on personal choices and invites viewers to question their own relationship with institutional structures.