An Austrian artist has shocked thousands after a video of her performance at the Venice Biennale 2026 went viral.

Performance artist Florentina Holzinger’s immersive installation, Seaworld Venice, at the world’s biggest art exhibition, begins with a nude female performer hanging upside down inside a huge bronze bell.

Her body swings side to side imitating the motion of a bell, symbolising ringing a climate alarm.

There is a sound coming from the bell suspended above the pavilion entrance, made by the performer's body that echoes across the exhibition grounds.

The act, intended to represent an urgent warning about accelerating sea-level rise and the climate crisis, has shocked people online who perhaps just saw it as a topless lady swinging from a bell.

How did people online react to the performance?

The performance has received serious backlash online from misogynists. One X user said, “This has nothing to do with the ‘climate apocalypse’, whatever the hell that even means. It's just another talentless female using her female abilities to sexualise herself to get attention”.

Others appreciated the art, but likely not for what it represents. Another X user commented, “The Left: It's about climate change!!! Me: Nice tits.”

Another commenter added: “It is a bunch of attention whores and it has nothing to do with the climate.”

One person made a statement that, sadly, was probably true: “I can assure you that 98% are here for the tits and nothing to do with art or the artist”.

However, some people were in support of the controversial performance art piece and activist artist Holzinger.

In contrast to the critics, one social media user said, “This performance is wild—turning a massive bell into a climate alarm with raw physicality. Powerful statement!”

What is the Venice Biennale?

Often described as the Olympics of the art world, the Venice Biennale is the world’s oldest and most prestigious international contemporary art exhibition, held every two years in Venice, Italy.

It serves as a global stage where countries showcase their most significant artists, and curators set the tone for the future of the art market and academic discourse.

Featured image credit: Art News / X

If anyone understands the feeling of wanting to run and hide in shame it's a Miami woman who accidentally knocked over and smashed an iconic piece of artwork valued at $42,000 last week.

The small sculpture - created by world-renowned artist Jeff Koons - had been on display at the Bel-Air Fine Art Gallery for a VIP event to celebrate the opening of the Art Wynwood contemporary art fair, The Guardian reports.

It was then that a woman - who was in attendance at the event - decided to tap lightly on the piece of art, which was a smaller version of Koons' signature balloon dog.

It is thought that she had wondered whether the blue sculpture was actually a real balloon, something she evidently found out the hard way when the priceless piece of art ended up in hundreds of little pieces on the gallery floor.

Art collector Stephen Gamson filmed the aftermath, recalling: "When this thing fell to the ground, it was like how a car accident draws a huge crowd on the highway."

He took to Instagram to upload several short clips of the smashed artwork, alongside old photos of himself with Koons. In one of the clips, someone can be heard saying: "I can't believe somebody would knock that over."

Gamson captioned the upload: "I was at the VIP art opening of Art Wynwood as I was looking the art, I pointed to a Jeff Koons balloon dog sculpture. This woman knocked it over. I actually witnessed the whole thing. It shattered into a thousand pieces. One of the most crazy things I've ever seen. Anyway, I tried to purchase the broken sculpture. It has a really cool story. You will see this all over the news."

Though, this isn't the first time Koons' work has been subject to an unfortunate accident. In fact, a miniature magenta version of one of his balloon dogs fell out of its display case and smashed during the Design Miami exhibition in 2016.

At the time, Koons didn't appear too fazed by the incident and brushed it off as no biggie, telling Page Six: "It's a shame when anything like that happens but, you know, it's just a porcelain plate.

"We're really lucky when it's just objects that get broken, when there's little accidents like that, because that can be replaced."

I mean, I'd be pretty chill about it too if some of my artworks were auctioned for as much as $91 million too!

Fortunately for the woman involved in last week's accidental smash, Koons' piece of art was insured, so she won't have to foot the $42,000 bill.

We can imagine she was left pretty red-faced after that faux pas regardless.

Featured image credit: Kate Hockenhull / Alamy

Illusionist David Blane has successfully pulled off one of his most dangerous stunts yet - floating thousands of feet above a desert using just balloons.

The 47-year-old was strapped into a harness and held onto 52 helium-filled balloons as he rose in the sky above the Arizona desert yesterday (September 2).

"#DavidBlaineAscension is beyond anything that I could’ve imagined. It’s also really complex so it will now take place in Arizona. I'm hoping to ascend in a few days, so set a reminder to get notified when I take off," Blaine wrote on Twitter several days prior to his ascent.

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Footage of his “Ascension” stunt - which was live-streamed on YouTube at the time - shows the moment he says goodbye to his daughter and ascended while simply appearing to hold the balloons in one hand.

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Blaine manages to go past his targeted 18,000 altitude, and nearly reached 25,000ft, before he fitted his parachute onto his back and let go. He then free-fell to the ground before releasing the parachute.

The video ends with him floating back to the surface to cheers from those watching.

Watch the incredible feat below: 

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Upon landing, Blaine let out a relieved gasp before shouting, "Wow, that was awesome." He then spoke with his daughter via radio, who said: ‘That was great. You did it. I love you.”

The illusionist has garnered a reputation for putting his body to the absolute limits by doing a series of physical endurance stunts.

Other jaw-dropping stunts have seen him being encased in ice, submerged in an aquarium for a week, and being held up by his feet over an ice rink.

Ascension, however, was one of his most dangerous acts, due to the possibility of hypoxia - a lack of oxygen to the brain due to increasingly thin air.

A priest in Brazil met a tragic end after attempting to raise money for charity by attaching 1000 helium balloons to himself.

Father Adelir Antonio de Carli, famously dubbed the 'balloon priest' of Brazil, attempted an audacious feat involving tying himself to 1,000 helium-filled balloons, all in the hopes of raising funds for a chapel dedicated to truckers in his highway parish.

Clad in a helmet, aluminum thermal flight suit, and waterproof coveralls, the Roman Catholic priest took off from the port city of Paranagua on April 20, 2008, equipped with a parachute for safety, per the Guardian.

The ambitious priest aimed to shatter the 19-hour record for the longest time spent airborne. Despite his previous experience as a skydiver and rigorous survival training, de Carli's second attempt at this death-defying stunt would prove fatal.

Months prior, in January of the same year, he had embarked on a similar journey, using 600 balloons to soar to heights of over 17,000 feet before safely landing in Argentina.

However, his next attempt would prove fatal.

Equipped with a GPS tracker and radio for communication with air traffic control, de Carli set off on his world record attempt.

But The Mirror reports that, during one of his last communications, Father Carli reported trouble with his GPS. He told those on the ground that he was "very cold, but fine".

It is believed that Father Carli soared to 20,000ft before he was blown off course. In his final message, he believed he would land in the sea due to "losing height".

Eight hours into his flight and around 55 miles traveled, the 41-year-old priest disappeared from radar, sparking a frantic search effort involving planes, helicopters, and rescue teams.

Two days after his departure, scattered balloons were spotted in the sea near Brazil's Santa Catarina state, marking the last known location of de Carli. At the time, hopes that the priest would be found alive were high, with Fire Chief Johnny Coelhosaid saying that there was an "80% chance" Father Carli would be okay.

Sadly, despite exhaustive search efforts, his body was finally recovered months later in July, off the coast of southeastern Brazil.

"We were almost certain that it was the priest due to various elements, such as the clothes and material used in the balloon trip," remarked Macae’s chief of police, Daniel Bandeira. "The DNA only confirmed our suspicions," per Reuters.

Brother Moacir de Carli expressed relief that they could now proceed with a proper burial service after months of uncertainty.

This story has reemerged recently, and people have offered their thoughts on what is a pretty bizarre story.

One person said: "It may have not been the best idea, but it was made with pure hearted intentions. May heaven be even more than he could have even imagined."

A second person said: "Only he knows what his calling was. MAY HE REST IN PARADISE....May his life's work outshine his end."

A third added: "Very sad that this crazy world drove him to this. Wish he hadn't felt so helpless. Also wish he had not used balloons which are so dangerous to animal life and probably caused more deaths."

Featured image credit: Luxx Images/Getty

An artist says she was "ready to die" after her performance art piece quickly turned into a horrifying display of the worst side of human behavior.

Over the years, many artists have attempted to push the boundaries with their own unique ideas of art - but perhaps one of the most captivating is Marina Abramović.

Some may remember Abramović going viral on social media several years ago for her heartwarming reunion with her former lover and collaborator Ulay (Frank Uwe Laysiepen) as part of her 'The Artist is Present' piece.

However, not all of Abramović's pieces ended with tears of happiness.

Back in 1974, the Serbian artist performed her piece, Rhythm 0.

What began as an innocuous experiment in audience participation quickly spiraled into a harrowing ordeal that tested the boundaries of artistic expression, human decency, and crowd mentality.

Abramović's premise was deceptively simple yet profoundly provocative: she placed 72 objects on a table and invited the audience to use them on her in any way they desired over a period of six hours.

Per Far Out Magazine, the objects ranged from benign items like flowers and apples to potentially deadly implements such as knives and a loaded gun.

Her directive was clear: "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 Abramović Institute.

Initially, the audience hesitated, unsure of how to engage with the artist and the unusual freedom granted to them. Yet, as time passed, inhibitions dissolved and the atmosphere grew increasingly charged.

The turning point came when someone lifted Abramović's arm, emboldening others to escalate their interactions. By the three-hour mark, the performance had descended into chaos.

Clothes were torn from her body and she was stripped, a knife was dangerously placed between her legs, and she was subjected to assaults.

Throughout the ordeal, Abramović remained stoic, fulfilling her role as both subject and observer of human behavior.

Some audience members took on roles of protectors, wiping her tears and attempting to intervene.

Others, driven by the power granted to them, committed acts of cruelty and violence. One person even reportedly cut her neck.

The performance became a microcosm of societal dynamics, with factions forming among the audience — some appalled by the unfolding brutality, others reveling in their newfound authority over a passive individual. And some people simply watched on, silent.

One account of the performance details how Abramović was made to hold the loaded gun to her head and grasp the trigger with her fingers.

When the time limit came to an end, the artist started to move - no longer a puppet.

Speaking to her own Marina Abramović Institute, she recalls the moment: "I start moving. I start being myself [...] and, at that moment, everybody ran away. People could not actually confront with me as a person."

Reflecting on the performance later, Abramović expressed the profound impact it had on her: "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."

"I was ready to die," she once said, per Far Out.

She also revealed that she created the piece to combat the growing criticism of performance art at the time. While many felt like artists were becoming increasingly vulgar, Abramović wanted to show how the public would behave if the artist simply did nothing.

Rhythm 0 stands as a stark reminder of the power dynamics at play in human interactions, echoing the disturbing findings of the Stanford Prison Experiment.

It was a display of what some people would do with anonymity and free from repercussions.

Featured image credit: Dave Benett / Getty