A Love That Ended on the Great Wall and Returned in Silence

The story of artists Marina Abramović and Ulay is one that touches people all over the world. Their relationship was not only romantic but also deeply creative. For many years, they worked together as an artistic duo, travelled across Europe in an old van, and explored the limits of the human body and emotions. Their love was as intense as their performances.

In 1988, however, they reached a point where it was clear that their paths were separating. And because their lives were closely connected to art, they chose to end their relationship through a performance. The project The Lovers: The Great Wall Walk was meant to symbolically close their partnership. Marina started from one end of the Great Wall of China, and Ulay began from the other. They walked alone for three months until they met in the middle. When they finally saw each other, there was no dramatic gesture — only a simple hug and the decision that their relationship was over. This moment ended one of the strongest artistic partnerships of the 20th century.

For many years, they did not see each other. Their lives moved in different directions. Then in 2010, during Marina's famous performance The Artist Is Present at MoMA, their paths crossed again. Marina spent hours every day sitting silently in front of a chair, inviting visitors to sit opposite her and look into her eyes. One day, Ulay sat down in that chair. Nobody expected it — not even Marina. When their eyes met, years of silence suddenly disappeared. Marina smiled, and tears appeared in her eyes. This quiet moment, lasting only a few seconds, was stronger than many of their earlier performances.

Their story reminds us that some relationships never completely disappear. They may end, change, or fade over time, but what was honest and deep remains inside us — and sometimes returns in a moment of complete silence.