In a bid to prove the power of performance art, Marina Abramović put her life in the hands of the general public.
It was a decision which led to her become the centre of one of the most unsettling exhibits in history, which she knows full well she was ‘lucky to survive’.
However, she managed to seek some solace from the fact that she proved the point she set out to with her performance of Rhythm 0, which took place at a gallery in Naples, Italy.
Back in 1974, the Serbian conceptual artist decided to take her creative work to new heights with a six-hour long show, where she instructed spectators to do ‘whatever they wanted’ to her without any repercussions.
Abramović, now 77, offered her body up as a canvas while she stood completely still.
Marina Abramović’s performance piece was held in Naples, Italy (Marina Abramović Institute/YouTube)
Onlookers were able to choose from an array of 72 different items which were laid on a table beside her, before using the objects on her in any way which they desired.
A note accompanying the articles explained: “Instructions: 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.”
Among the items were a gun, a bullet, a metal bar, a whip, an axe, scissors and a scalpel.
But on the other, less chilling, end of the spectrum, there was a rose, a feather, perfume, honey, bread and grapes.
Things started out quite tame, with spectators gingerly approaching Abramović and playing flowers which she’d laid out for them onto her body, while others planted kisses on her cheek.
Art critic Thomas McEvilley, who observed Rhythm 0 in action, explained that the atmosphere in the room soon began to shift as bystanders grew bolder.
He said at the time: “Someone turned her around. Someone thrust her arms into the air. Someone touched her somewhat intimately. The Neapolitan night began to heat up.
The now-77-year-old gave spectators free reign to do what they wanted to her (Dave Benett/Getty Images)
“In the third hour, all her clothes were cut from her with razor sharp blades. In the fourth hour, the same blades began to explore her skin. Her throat was slashed so someone could suck her blood.
“Various minor sexual assaults were carried out on her body. She was so committed to the piece that she would not have resisted rape or murder.”
Terrifyingly, Abramović also had a loaded gun thrust to her head, while her own finger was placed upon the trigger.
This finally caused some members of the audience to realise that the stunt was going too far, regardless of whether the artist had given people free reign or not, and a row broke out in the gallery.
Some kindly wiped her tears and tried to protect her, while batting away some ‘dangerous’ people in the crowd.
But incredibly, Abramović herself remained emotionless throughout the performance art piece – even though inside, she admits she was enveloped by fear.
Speaking of her motivations behind Rhythm 0, Abramović said: “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’.
“I was very foolish, I have to tell you, in that time, because I was absolutely going to the end, and I was lucky to survive.”
Members of the crowd started off tamely, but soon upped the ante to drastic proportions (Marina Abramović Institute/YouTube)
She explained that she had wanted to find out just how far the public would actually go with the risky stunt, and she learned 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,” Abramović recalled.
“It created an aggressive atmosphere. After exactly 6 hours, as planned, I stood up and started walking toward the audience. Everyone ran away, to escape an actual confrontation.”
I mean, if you ever need some proof that the psychological phenomenon of mob mentality is actually legit, Rhythm 0 is probably a great place to start.
Abramović confessed she was completely willing to sacrifice her life for the sake of knowledge, saying she was ‘ready to die’ if that’s what it took, according to The Guardian.
They say great art comes from great pain, but Rhythm 0 is remembered for giving the world a frightening insight into human behaviour, rather than fondly.
