Through her work, Abramovic attempted to explore human nature when given complete freedom and themes of sexual violation.
I am the object… During this period I take full responsibility.
According toAbramovic, the evening started calmly, with nothing eventful occurring at the beginning.
Photo: Francesco Pierantoni viaWikimedia Commons(CC BY 2.0)
Her spectators would adjust her body and play with her, giving her kisses and a rose.
A knife was later stuck between her legs, and rose thorns were pushed into her stomach.
While crying, Abramovic remained unmobile.
Photo: Leo Reynolds viaWikimedia Commons(CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Groups formed in the audience, representing different sides of humanity: kindness and cruelty.
Some tried to protect the artist and wiped her tears away.
In each performance, she explores the limits of her body through extreme pain or physical exhaustion.
Photo: Marc Wathieu viaWikimedia Commons(CC BY 2.0)
Watch Abramovic’s full reflectionson the groundbreaking performance in an interview published by the Marina Abramovic Institute.
Photo: Francesco Pierantoni viaWikimedia Commons(CC BY 2.0)
