Ulay

author · photographer

German^[1] b. 30 November 1943, Solingen, Nazi Germany (now Germany)^[1] d. 2 March 2020, Ljubljana, Slovenia^[1] active 1970–2020

Frank Uwe Laysiepen (born November 30, 1943 – died March 2, 2020), known professionally as Ulay, was a German artist based in Amsterdam and Ljubljana. He received international recognition for his Polaroid art and collaborative performance art with longtime companion Marina Abramović. In the early 1970s, he moved to Amsterdam where he began experimenting with Polaroid film. From 1976 to 1988, he lived and performed with Abramović in a series of 'relation works' that explored duality, gender identity, and physical limits. After their separation in 1988, Ulay continued his solo practice, focusing on installations, video art, and audience participation.^[1,2]

• performance art
• Polaroid art
• duality
• gender identity
• relational aesthetics