Reason artist let strangers ‘do anything to her’ in dangerous experiment
In 1974, artist Marina Abramovic entered a studio in Naples with a daring - and arguably dangerous - idea.
She would stand in front of a series of objects for six hours and allow audience members to do whatever they wanted to her, using one of the 72 items she'd left on a nearby table.
The objects ranged from a rose, a feather, perfume, honey, grapes and wine to more sinister items such as scissors, a scalpel, nails, a metal bar, a gun, and a bullet.
This was Rhythm 0, one of the most controversial pieces of performance art in history.
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"There are 72 objects on the table that one can use on me as desired," a note left on the table read.
"Performance: I am the object. During this period, I take full responsibility."
At first, audience members responded tamely, handing Abramovic a rose and manoeuvred her body into a variety of positions.
But things escalated as the night continued, with audience members seizing the opportunity to act on darker fantasies. One person cut off her clothes while another put the gun to her head and attempted to move her finger to the trigger.
The violent behaviour led to a fight breaking out, as other members of the audience rushed to intervene and protect her.
So why did she do it?
Why did Marina Abramović want to do Rhythm 0?
Considering the fact that Abramovic came close to being injured or possibly even being killed, it's fair to ask why she would risk her life for a piece of art.
The now 77-year-old, who is also famous for having nine orgasms in public and becoming a prostitute for six hours, has explained that her motivation for the piece was to prove that the public really would kill you if they were able to.
"Nobody believed in performance art, and I said, 'Okay, I want to show if I actually do nothing. The public, if they want to kill me, they can kill me'," Abramovic previously said of the performance.
And it would appear she was fully happy to sacrifice her life in the name of art as well, telling The Guardian in 2014 that she was 'ready to die' should audience members have actually been prepared to take her life.
"I had a pistol with bullets in it, my dear. I was ready to die," she said.
The crowd's reaction after the performance ended was also interesting, as Abramovic later recalled that 'everyone ran away' after the six-hour show ended as they wanted to 'escape an actual confrontation'.
While Abramovic was fortunate to walk away from the studio with her life, we're left with the knowledge that some people would be more than happy to violate, maim, or even kill a person if they could get away with it.
Make of that what you will...
Topics: Marina Abramovic
Brenna Cooper