Marina Abramović (b. 1946) was born in Belgrade. Because her parents were busy with their careers, she lived with her grandmother for 6 years.

“Until then,” she writes, “I hardly even knew who my parents were. They were just two strange people who would visit on Saturdays and bring presents. When I was six, my brother was born, and I was sent back to my parents.”

Abramović writes of having a very unhappy childhood with her parents.

“I grew up with incredible control, discipline, and violence at home. Everything was extreme.”

Drawing and performing were ways for her to survive.

Despite the difficulties, Marina Abramović remained at home with her parents until she was 29.

Marina Abramović eventually moved to Amsterdam. She had several postings to European academies, has given many performances and become known as the “grandmother of performance art” and in 2007, founded the Marina Abramović Institution, a non-profit foundation for performance art.