A subterranean journey through the visceral deaths of opera's greatest heroines, staged within the damp darkness of former water reservoirs.
Exhibition Highlights - What you'll see
Marina Abramović brings her cinematic opera to the haunting depths of Cisternerne, paying tribute to the tragic life and art of Maria Callas. By inhabiting seven iconic female roles, the world's most famous performance artist explores the thin veil between theatrical sacrifice and human endurance. It is a meditation on the permanence of loss, amplified by the heavy silence of a buried architecture.
You're watching a filmic sequence unfold across the dark, cavernous chambers of an underground reservoir. The air is cool and damp, and the sound of Callas's voice echoes against dripping stone. As you move through the shadows, Willem Dafoe appears on screen alongside Abramović, their silent gestures creating a slow-motion dance of fate that feels both ancient and immediate.
Worth the trip
- Site-specific resonance: This is the first time the work has been staged in its entirety within a subterranean space, allowing the dampness of the former reservoirs to mirror the emotional weight of the films.
- A legendary dialogue: The project unites the voices of three cultural titans—Abramović, Callas, and Dafoe—to create a cross-disciplinary experience that transcends traditional cinema.
- The artist's milestone: The exhibition concludes on Abramović's 80th birthday, marking a profound career moment in one of Copenhagen's most atmospheric venues.
How to experience it
Allow yourself a full hour to witness the cycle from beginning to end, moving slowly through the three chambers of Cisternerne. Wear layers, as the underground temperature remains constant regardless of the weather outside. Afterward, walk through the green expanse of Søndermarken park to recalibrate your senses under the open sky and the shifting Danish light.




