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 Abramović, 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 to 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. 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.
"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.
But what began as an innocuous experiment in audience participation quickly spiraled into a harrowing ordeal that left Abramović 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 Abramović's directive.
The turning point came when someone lifted Abramović's arm, encouraging 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. One person even reportedly cut her neck.
Other spectators felt the need to step in at times, wiping away Abramović's tears and attempting to protect her from serious harm.
But despite the danger she was in, Abramović remained true to her word and did not stop the public.
Per Far Out, Abramović confessed: "I was ready to die."
Speaking to The Guardian in 2010, she was asked what the worst thing somebody did to her during the performance, to which, she replied: "A man pressed the gun hard against my temple. I could feel his intent. And I heard the women telling the men what to do. The worst was the one man who was there always, just breathing. This, for me, was the most frightening thing.
"After the performance, I have one streak of white hair on my head. I cannot get rid of the feeling of fear for a long time. Because of this performance, I know where to draw the line so as not to put myself at such risk."
Tragically, Abramović admits that she still has "scars of the cuts", adding: "It was a little crazy. I realised then that the public can kill you. If you give them total freedom, they will become frenzied enough to kill you."
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 think I'll still to paintings on the wall from now on.
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