• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Artist who was 'ready to die' after allowing people to do anything to her for six hours reveals worst act spectator committed

Home> Community> Life

Updated 16:17 8 Oct 2024 GMT+1Published 15:59 8 Oct 2024 GMT+1

Artist who was 'ready to die' after allowing people to do anything to her for six hours reveals worst act spectator committed

Marina Abramović offered everything from flowers to guns for spectators to use

Emily Brown

Emily Brown

An artist who invited spectators to do whatever they wanted to her for six hours has revealed the worst thing she experienced as a result.

Most people avoid letting strangers touch them if they can help it, but Marina Abramović decided to throw that instinct out of the window as part of an artistic performance she put on in 1974.

The artist, who is originally from Serbia, traveled to Naples and began her performance by placing 72 objects on a table.

Marina placed everything from flowers to guns for people to use (YouTube/Marina Abramovic Institute)
Marina placed everything from flowers to guns for people to use (YouTube/Marina Abramovic Institute)

Advert

She then invited members of the public to do 'whatever' they wanted to her with the objects over the course of six hours in the performance, which she dubbed 'Rhythm 0'.

According to the Marina Abramović Institute, she told the crowd: "I am an object. You can do whatever you want with me and I will take full responsibility for the 6 hours."

The objects Marina offered up for use included everything from flowers and apples to knives and a loaded gun.

The audience were initially hesitant to get involved, but things took a turn after one member of the public lifted Marina's arm.

Advert

Other people then began to close in, tearing at her clothes and even allegedly using the knife to cut Marina's skin.

Over the following six hours, Marina was subject to increasingly horrifying acts, leading her to admit that she was 'ready to die' as the minutes ticked on.

"I still have the scars of the cuts," Marina said in a 2010 interview with The Guardian in which she opened up about her ordeal, which included people blindfolding her and throwing cold water on her.

Marina Abramović revealed someone pressed a gun to her temple (Elisabetta A. Villa/Getty Images)
Marina Abramović revealed someone pressed a gun to her temple (Elisabetta A. Villa/Getty Images)

Advert

Marina also spoke about the 'worst' part of the performance.

She recalled: "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."

Marina revealed that the performance left her with 'one streak of white hair', as well as a long lasting 'feeling of fear'.

Advert

"Because of this performance, I know where to draw the line so as not to put myself at such risk," she said.

"It was a little crazy," the artist continued. "I realised then that the public can kill you. If you give them total freedom, they will become frenzied enough to kill you."

Featured Image Credit: Elisabetta A. Villa/Getty Images / YouTube/Marina Abramovic Institute
Emily Brown
Emily Brown

Emily Brown is UNILAD Editorial Lead at LADbible Group. She first began delivering news when she was just 11 years old - with a paper route - before graduating with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University. Emily joined UNILAD in 2018 to cover breaking news, trending stories and longer form features. She went on to become Community Desk Lead, commissioning and writing human interest stories from across the globe, before moving to the role of Editorial Lead. Emily now works alongside the UNILAD Editor to ensure the page delivers accurate, interesting and high quality content.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

9 hours ago
a day ago
4 days ago
6 days ago
  • 9 hours ago

    Doctors made shocking side effect discovery after man who’d smoked for decades complained about chronic cough

    In case you needed another reason to quit...

    Community
  • a day ago

    Active man, 54, diagnosed with cancer after unrelated basketball injury revealed shocking symptom

    'There was an elevation of protein that was present in both my urine and my blood'

    Community
  • 4 days ago

    Scientists reveals the 9 most common ways people use to end relationships and some might surprise you

    Breakups can be tough, but a study has revealed that people tend to do the deed in only a few different kinds of ways

    Community
  • 6 days ago

    Man issues warning after five-day cocaine binge left him with 'devil eyes' and it almost killed him

    The Brit has now been sober for 15 months after struggling with alcohol and drug addiction

    Community
  • Artist who was 'ready to die' after allowing people to do anything to her for six hours took part in another extreme act
  • Artist who was 'ready to die' after allowing spectators to do anything to her for six hours explains why she did it
  • Artist who was 'ready to die' after allowing spectators to do anything to her for six hours shares the key thing she learned
  • Artist who was 'ready to die' after allowing people to do anything to her for six hours reveals its long-lasting effects