New York dealer Jeanne Greenberg-Rohatyn of Salon 94 is defending Jay Z against Marina Abramović, who said she felt "used" after the "Picasso Baby" video, which the two shot at the Pace Gallery back in 2013. Greenberg-Rohatyn, who helped organized the video shoot and is Jay's art adviser, read a receipt from the Hudson, New York institute to artnet News this morning that said, "Thank you for your donation."
The Marina Abramović Institute in Hudson, New York, where the receipt is reportedly from, is a space dedicated to performance art and education founded by the performance artist.
According to the interview on Spike magazine, Abramović, though, may not be only referring to monetary payment. The writer, Kolja Reichert, told Abramović: "When you rubbed your forehead with Jay-Z's, it seemed like an economical transaction: I grant you the right to use my piece, but in reverse you have to provide a space for my brand within your campaign."
Abramović responded, saying: "And in the end it was only a one-way transaction. I will never do it again, that I can say. Never. I was really naive in this kind of world. It was really new to me, and I had no idea that this would happen. It’s so cruel, it’s incredible. I will stay away from it for sure."
We've reached out to both Abramović's and Jay Z's teams for comments.
UPDATE: The Marina Abramović Institute has just issued a statement apologizing to Jay Z, and Abramović herself, saying that the artist wasn't aware of the rapper's donation. Read the full statement below:
1.
