The artist behind the thought-provoking yet terrifying exhibit in which she let members of the public do whatever they wanted to her has revealed the worst thing somebody did.
A whole new generation of social media users are only just learning about Serbian artist Marina AbramoviÄ, who has been making headlines for decades for her out-of-the-box performance art exhibitions.
One of her most talked about pieces came about in 1974, when she traveled to Naples toĀ perform Rhythm 0. Little did she know, the piece would highlight the very worst about mob mentality and human behavior.
The premise for the performance was deceptively simple; she placed 72 objects on a table and invited members of the public to use them on her in any way they desired over a period of six hours. PerĀ Far Out Magazine, the objects ranged from benign items like flowers and apples to potentially deadly implements such as knives and a loaded gun.
“I am an object. You can do whatever you want with me and I will take full responsibility for the 6 hours,” she said, per the Marina AbramoviÄ Institute.
But what began as an innocuous experiment in audience participation quickly spiraled into a harrowing ordeal that left AbramoviÄ fearful for her life.
Initially, the audience hesitated, unsure of how to engage with the artist and the unusual freedom granted to them. Yet, as time passed, their inhibitions dissolved as more and more people tested AbramoviÄ’s directive.
The turning point came when someone lifted AbramoviÄ’s arm, encouraging others to escalate their interactions. By the three-hour mark, the performance had descended into chaos.
