Davos this year felt crowded again with meaning and speed, and in that noise Marina Abramovic’s project came across as almost provocatively simple. THE BUS was a converted school bus where visitors entered one by one or in small groups, were asked to put away their phones, and accepted the rules of silence for a short time.

“Launching it at the World Economic Forum in Davos means global leaders can participate. It means decision makers can join together in silence, remembering or finding common ground between them”, said Marina Abramović.

Inside, there were no promises. Only a few exercises from the Abramovic Method, where the main tools were stillness, breath, and attentive presence. In Davos, it worked as a micro-pause placed right at the core of a schedule that usually valued quick reactions and sharp phrasing. The bus did one important thing: it gave the body the right to be the primary source of clarity, even if only for ten minutes.

THE BUS was an invitation for an inner journey that became collective. “This was how we began to find common ground and create space for dialogue and peace.” THE BUS builds on these fundamental ideas and goes one step further: It brings art to the people and creates space for community, presence, and empathy.

THE BUS moved art out of museum walls and now will travel to different locations. The project positioned itself as something meant to have a tangible effect by supporting dialogue and a sense of peace, both on an individual level and through a collective experience.

It is a collaboration between Marina Abramovic, her institute (MAI), and the Mirjam Varadinis Art Agency, with support from the Cart Department and the Monsol Foundation.