Ulay (Frank Uwe Laysiepen, *1943, Solingen, Germany – †2020, Ljubljana, Slovenia) was a pioneering performance artist and photographer whose work fundamentally shaped the development of contemporary performance art.

Internationally recognised for his twelve-year artistic collaboration with Marina Abramović, Ulay explored the physical and psychological limits of the body, while addressing questions of identity, gender, relationships, and social roles. Alongside his performances, his photographic practice investigated notions of the self and personal transformation.

His work is held in major museum collections including the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Kunstmuseum Bern; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; and The Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Charim Galerie works in close collaboration with the Ulay Foundation.

Most recently, the major retrospective ART VITAL – 12 Years of Ulay / Marina Abramović was presented at Cukrarna Gallery, Ljubljana (2025–2026).