Considered one of the pioneers of performance art, Marina Abramović has fashioned her body as both subject and medium throughout her career. Exhaustively investigating her physical and mental limits, Abramović’s work explores the dualities of human existence and creative transcendence. In the photograph offered here, Abramović positions her face between two maracas decorated as skulls. Skeletons have been an integral part of her imagery for much of her career. By pairing this symbolism with the maracas, an instrument known for its use in spiritual ceremonies, Abramović highlights the connection between life, death and spirituality. Self-Portrait with Maracas was a centerpiece of the artist’s Two Hearts exhibition at Galerie Krinzinger in Vienna in 2018.