What happened to artist 'ready to die' who let people do anything to her in extreme act

Many creatives are willing to suffer for their art but few have been quite so willing to put that idea to the test like Marina Abramović, who put her life on the line in one of her most famous works.

Titling the work 'Rhythm 0', the artist placed 72 objects on a table with a message for the audience that they were welcome to use whatever was on the table however they liked.

For the next six hours of the 1974 exhibit, she would take 'full responsibility' for what happened and would just stand there without moving, so she would not even interfere if audience members started attacking her.

The first audience members kept things reasonable, some of them moved her hands, spun her around and used some of the more pleasant objects on the table, such as flowers, perfume and honey.

Marina Abramović said she was 'ready to die' and she very nearly did (Marina Abramović Institute/YouTube)

However, as time went on, the audience pushed the boundaries further and tested the rules of 'Rhythm 0' to their very limits as they wanted to see what happened if they took drastic action.

Abramović had said she was 'ready to die' if it should come to that and it very nearly did.

An art critic observing the event said that three hours in people used blades to cut off her clothes, and an hour later they started cutting the woman's skin too.

The artist's throat was slashed so one person could 'drink her blood' and she was sexually assaulted, with her staying true to her word that she would not move or interfere with what the audience was doing.

In the end, some audience members decided it was on them to intervene after someone put a loaded gun in Abramović's hand, made her hold it to her own head and started moving her finger over the trigger.

With the prospect of death very much on the line, the audience members started fighting each other.

Her life was in genuine danger as people used the objects on the table however they liked (Marina Abramović Institute/YouTube)

After exactly six hours the artist simply walked away, which she said prompted people to run away.

Abramović explained: "What I learned was that... if you leave it up to the audience, they can kill you.

"I felt really violated: they cut up my clothes, stuck rose thorns in my stomach, one person aimed the gun at my head, and another took it away. It created an aggressive atmosphere.

"After exactly six hours, as planned, I stood up and started walking toward the audience. Everyone ran away, to escape an actual confrontation."

At the end of it all, Abramović felt 'lucky' to survive, though it didn't stop her from going on to perform many other works.

Some of her other works included her sitting and having silent conversations with anyone who wanted to come and see her, while she also has plans for a dramatic funeral so that when she goes, she goes in style.