New York Magazine rats out Marina Abramovic whose performance piece in the MoMA atrium has been a huge hit provoking Arthur Danto to write an extended essay in the New York Times online over the weekend. But no amount of high art credibility makes you immune to America’s obsession with celebrities. Most ordinary folks waiting on line to sit with the artist in the atrium never have a chance:

That’s because the door policy is anything but democratic: Every day by 10:30, when the museum officially opens, ten to fifteen people are already waiting inside, having taken advantage of the early access granted to employees. And they aren’t even first on the list, because just before the show begins, Abramovic’s assistant brings in a handful of VIPs who skip the line altogether. Because some people choose to sit with Abramovic for an hour or longer, this means that, occasionally, not even MoMA employees make it in front of her. Last Thursday, for instance, only nine people sat with the artist, and Björk and her family accounted for a third of them. […] Star access isn’t subtle. “There are benches next to the atrium,” according to our informant, “and the VIP crew just pops a squat there until Marina is ready.” That includes friends of the artist, friends of the artist’s assistant, and everyday celebrity visitors like Franco.

How Marina Abramovic’s Red-Velvet Rope at MoMA Works (New York Magazine)