Marina Abramovic
- Joséphine Hengstwerth
- Apr 14, 2020
- 2 min read
Rhythm 0, 1974
In her performance piece “Rhythm 0” from 1974, Siberian artist Marina Abramovic willingly objectified herself and took full responsibility for the audience to do whatever they wanted to do to her. She provided 72 objects including flowers, knives and guns which the people were allowed to use for the duration of 6 hours. Her written instructions were:
Instructions.
There are 72 objects on the table that one can use on me as desired.
Performance
I am the object.
During this period I take full responsibility.
1974
Duration: 6 hours (8pm–2am.)
Studio Morra, Naples
(Reproduced in Biesenbach 2009, p.74.)
Like most of Abramovic’s the themes are surrounding pain, suffering, endurance, consent, violence and the physicality of the body. The objects laid out for the public represent pleasure and pain and it is up tot the people of how to use them. ‘Rhythm 0’ is one of her most important works and marks the end of the performance series that started with ‘Rhythm 10’ where she continuously stabbed at a piece of paper between her fingers. In this last performance piece her clothes were cut, she was touched and made bleed by the thorns of a rose and a loaded gun was pointed at her head. But apart from some cuts there was no serious harm done to her, the trigger of the gun was not pulled and she was not raped. “They didn’t rape me,” she said, “because they were with their wives.” (https://womenintheworld.com/2015/11/17/marina-abramovic-and-the-art-of-female-sacrifice/) Abramovic declared this not to be a feminist piece and her not to be a feminist artist but rather a female body that might as well could be a male body. Also she refrains from putting any other label than “artist” on herself and sees the importance in not doing feminist art just because she is a woman. Though her art has been an inspiration to many feminist artists and she is seen as some form of an icon. By objectifying herself in this piece and letting strangers do to them whatever they would like she is making a point about female sacrifice. Furthermore with the risk of people getting pleasure out of her passivity she is making a statement about humanity and how people take advantage out of other people.Therefore this piece has become relevant to me because of the theme and how far you can push it as a performance artist.
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