Why artist Marina Abramović let spectators do anything to her for six hours in dangerous experiment
Warning: This article contains graphic content which some readers may find distressing
A woman known to be one of the most extreme performance artists ever, explained why she let strangers do whatever they wanted to her over the course of a six-hour performance.
Marina Abramović, 78, is a Serbian artist known for pushing herself to the ragged edge when it comes to her wild artistic experiments, which include not eating for 12 days, or even having nine orgasms in public.
You wouldn't be alone in questioning her motives behind these stunts, but her goal is for each performance to highlight a deep, painful message to the world.
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Back in 1974, Abramović burst onto the scene with 'Rhythm 0', an event so shocking that it's still discussed on social media today as one of the most shocking displays of art, ever.
What was 'Rhythm 0'?
Members of the public were granted free reign to Abramović's body for six hours with no repercussions, even being given 72 items to choose from and use on the artist.
These items included razors, knives, scissors and even a loaded gun - on a more lighthearted note, honey, bread, wine and perfume were also available for use.
She had left a note on the table with the items, reading: "There are 72 objects on the table that one can use on me as desired,
"Performance: I am the object. During this period I take full responsibility."
Things started off on the gentle side, but three hours into the allotted six, things turned violent as one person cut her clothes off with a razor, while another allegedly sliced into her exposed skin.
A third even placed a gun to her head, with her finger on the trigger.
Why did Abramović allow people to do anything to her?
It's all well and good pushing the boundaries of free will, but Abramović was pictured crying during her performance at one point.
A knife was even stuck between her legs, while according to The Harvard Crimson, she had her skin and neck cut, while some people even drank her blood or touched her inappropriately.
Some people stepped in more extreme moments to end the performance after fearing for her safety, as the artist admitted in a 2014 interview with the Guardian: "I had a pistol with bullets in it, my dear. I was ready to die."
Speaking more about the 52-year-old performance on the Marina Abramović Institute YouTube channel, she admitted it was 'really difficult'.
Looking back at 'Rhythm 0', she said: "At the beginning, nothing really happened, the public were really nice. They gave me a rose, they would kiss me, look at me, and the public became more and more wild."
Opening up on the end of the performance, Abramović explained: "I start moving. I start being myself [...] and, at that moment, everybody ran away. People could not actually confront with me as a person."
The artist added: "The experience I drew from this piece was that in your own performances you can go very far, but if you leave decisions to the public, you can be killed."
Topics: Marina Abramovic, Art, Weird
Joshua Nair