On a social network, the story of Serbian artist’s “Rhythm 0” performance aroused thousands of reactions. Some have seen in him a proof of human monstrosity. Others said the artist is a Satanist. And some asked, “Why didn’t he stop the show?”

(Staff: Global / Art & Society)

A table with 72 objects – from a rose to a loaded pistol

In 1974, in Naples, the Serbian artist Marina Abramović He made one of the most shocking performances in art history. On a table he placed 72 objects: a slice of cake, a rose, a knife, a pliers, but also a gun with a bullet. Next to them, a note that read: “I’m the object. I take full responsibility.” For six hours, the audience could do whatever they wanted with her.

Early hours: hesitation and gentle gestures

At first, no one dared to approach. Some turned her body, lifted her arms in the air or touched her lightly. But as time went on, the boundaries blurred. At one point, a spectator cut his clothes with scissors. Another followed, then another. Soon, the artist was completely empty.

Violence came naturally

What followed was a nightmare. Someone drew obscene words on her body. Another cut her with a knife and drank her blood. One participant tried to rape her. And one of the spectators took the pistol, loaded it and pointed it at her head. Only the intervention of other people prevented a tragedy.

“In six hours I learned more about people than in my whole life”

Abramović later stated that when the show ended and rose from the chair, all the spectators ran away. They couldn’t bear to face what they had done. “It was a terrible experiment,” she said. “I learned that if you let people do what they want, they will destroy you.”

What the comments say – from horror to accusations

The post attracted hundreds of comments. Some have said that experience demonstrates how violent human nature can be when there are no consequences. Others accused Abramović of being a Satanist, of making “human sacrifices” and of having sex with corpses. Another voice brought up the fact that the artist could have stopped the show at any time, which makes the experiment more of a play than a science.

Conclusion: a mirror of humanity