The performance took place at the Studio Morra in Naples, Italy. Abramovic placed a long wooden table in the center of the room. On the table, she laid out .
: Published in The Performative Artistic Process as Agent of Change , this chapter focuses on the connection between vulnerability, resistance, and gender norms evoked during the performance. marina abramovic rhythm 0
Initially, the audience was timid. People were polite, almost gentle. A man turned her around to face different directions. A woman gave her a glass of water. Another placed the rose in her hand. Someone wrapped her coat around her shoulders. There was laughter and nervous whispering. The audience was testing boundaries, but carefully. The performance took place at the Studio Morra
As the night wore on and Abramović did not react, the audience grew bolder. The social contract began to fray. Someone cut the buttons off her coat with the scissors. Another person used the scalpel to cut the front of her shirt. The rose was thrust into her hand so hard the thorns drew blood. : Published in The Performative Artistic Process as
Why does resonate so deeply? Because it is a perfect, live-action replication of the psychological concept of dehumanization. Abramović predicated the entire work on a dangerous hypothesis: “If you leave the decision to the public, you will be killed.”
Based on Abramović’s own testimonies (interviews 1975, 1998, 2010) and third-party witness accounts (from the Naples art scene):
"I am the object. During this period I take full responsibility." On the table were 72 objects categorized into "pleasure" and "pain". Pleasure Items: Rose, feather, honey, perfume, bread, wine. Pain/Danger Items: Scissors, knives, whips, chains, a scalpel, and a with one bullet. The Progression of the Performance