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Marina Abramovic and Ulay's Historic Gambit

The Artwork Theft Caper that Shook the Art World

Marina Abramovic and Ulay's Historic Gambit cover

Marina Abramovic and Ulay's Historic Gambit

The Artwork Theft Caper that Shook the Art World

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Pre-order. Available Jan 08 2026
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Description

On 12 December 1976, German conceptual artist Ulay stole Hitler's favorite painting from the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin. It was art theft as conceptual artwork-he hung the painting on the wall of a working-class immigrant family then phoned the museum to let them know where they could retrieve it. This is among the most famous performance artworks in history, and Ulay's most iconic artistic action. This unique and groundbreaking book tells the complete story of this art theft as artwork from three perspectives and with three authors. While Ulay passed away in 2020, he recorded his own first-person account of the action in conversation with art historian Noah Charney. This direct account from Ulay will provide one part of the book. The action was conceived and undertaken along with Ulay's partner at the time, Marina Abramovic, who is among the most famous living artists in the world-her account of the action will follow Ulay's in this book. Finally, Noah Charney will write about the action and placing it within the context of art history as well as the story of art theft. The result is the definitive book on this fascinating incident's importance to both the history of art theft and the history of art.

Table of Contents

1. There's a Criminal Touch to Art
2. Ulay and Abramovic Before the Theft
3. Ulay on the Action
4. Abramovic on the Action
5. Theft as Art, Art as Theft
6. The Double Theft Coda

Product details

Bloomsbury Academic Test
Published Jan 08 2026
Format Hardback
Edition 1st
Extent 176
ISBN 9798765163047
Imprint Bloomsbury Academic
Illustrations 45 bw images
Dimensions 9 x 6 inches
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Marina Abramovic

Since the beginning of her career in Belgrade duri…

Author

Noah Charney

Noah Charney is an art historian by training and i…

Author

Ulay

Ulay, born Frank Uwe Laysiepen in 1943, emerged as…

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