Hello, dear readers of the site! The experiment of Marina Abramovic, called «Rhythm 0», is considered one of the most cruel and life-threatening. It was conceived in order to show the true essence of man.
Or rather, how quickly a highly spiritual and moral person can quickly turn into a person who is guided only by instincts and does not feel compassion and pity for his own kind at all.
Why does it hurt them without a twinge of conscience, sometimes even experiencing pleasure.
short biography
The Yugoslav artist was born on November 30, 1946 in Belgrade. Her childhood was not at all carefree and joyful. A domineering, tough mother who controlled every step and a father who fled to another family.
Marina did not know love, affection, did not feel support and care. Perhaps this was the reason for her need to test herself, explore her mental and physical capabilities, as well as limitations.
The approach to art is quite serious, as almost always her performances balance on the verge of life and death. Sometimes, bringing incredible suffering, which not everyone would dare to.
Adolescence turned out to be no better than childhood, as it became more difficult to search for one’s own identity. Abramovich considered herself terrible and wore huge boots with metal soles and an ugly skirt.
The image was completed by a short haircut for a boy, which, in the end, served for her as a confirmation of her own unattractiveness.
At the age of 14, she broke her nose while trying to get her parents to pay for her plastic surgery. It just seemed huge to her, but she wanted it to be like Brigitte Bardot’s.
The severity of the mother forced one day, at the age of 29, to run away from her home. Since being a married adult woman, she had to adhere to the strict rules that reigned in her parental home.
For example, in no case should you come home after 22:00. Otherwise, a serious scandal threatens.
In the 1980s, she even lived in Austria with the natives. In the tribe, by the way, Abramovich raised a kangaroo cub, having been a little in the role of a mother.
By the way, she refused to have children of her own. Since she believed that they interfere with building a career and feeling the taste of life.
Rhythm 0
Performance is a kind of art when an artist or a group of artists perform some action.
Here, for example, Marina, wanting to show people how much they are subject to animal instincts, up to the loss of human appearance.
She laid out 72 items in front of her viewers, and gave them the right to treat her body as they wish, using them.
She was interested to know what will happen if you give another person power over himself, what will he do and will he stop when he realizes that he is hurting?
And in general, to what extent will it reach, and will it be able to resist its desire to receive satisfaction from the commission of violence?
This experiment happened in Naples, in 1974. It lasted from eight in the evening until two in the morning.
In the room on a huge table were laid out objects that give pleasure, as well as those that cause pain. For example, matches, feathers, honey, a knife, a spoon, a chain, a pistol loaded with one cartridge, and even sugar.
People had the right to independently choose what they like and use in relation to the fragile Serbian girl. Yes, Abramovich acted as an object of performance, taking full responsibility for what was happening.
That is, for 6 hours, the audience could mock her, then not answering before the law for their actions.
How was it?
It all started well, innocently and kindly. The participants tried to kiss her, handed her flowers, tickled her with feathers. They were embarrassed and laughed, not really understanding how to be in such a situation.
But someone from the crowd decided to push the artist, and from that moment, realizing that there was no punishment for her actions, and the girl did not resist, nor did she react, the behavior of those around her changed dramatically.
Her private parts were already touched unceremoniously. They cut the clothes with a knife and a razor, leaving, in the end, naked. They cut off their hair, tortured them with rose thorns, sticking them into the body. Someone even ventured to make an incision on the neck and drink blood from the wound.
Thomas McEvilley, an art critic, was invited as an observer. He said that initially the violence was minor, gradually gaining momentum in the manifestation of cruelty.
They turned Marina around, raised her hands up, until, finally, they decided to push. And now, exactly three hours later, she was naked, after four — with wounds from the blades. Holding their own nude photos in their hands, which the participants took in the process.
During this period, she was already sexually harassed while she stood still and allowed herself to do whatever came to her mind.
Someone took a gun, put it in the girl’s hands and put her fingers on the trigger. But then other eyewitnesses intervened and took away the weapon. The experiment turned out to be excessively cruel and endangered Abramovich’s life.
After six hours, the artist seemed to «woke up.» Naked, cut up and tortured, she moved towards the crowd.
Which, by the way, was frightened, because their toy could again control its body, which made it very embarrassing. Some people just ran out of the room. Those who remained simply did not dare to raise their eyes.
Marina later admitted in an interview that she felt so humiliated that on the same evening, when she got to the hotel and saw herself in the mirror, she found a strand of gray hair.
Conclusions
The artist conceived this performance because she wanted to get answers to questions about how humanity could commit such cruel acts, as during the Second World War. Then repeat them in Serbia, Chechnya…
It turned out that if you give another person free will, allow himself to be offended and hurt, he will instantly lose the ability to empathize. And along with this, his humanity, despite how kind and sympathetic he used to be.
A similar scary experiment was conducted at Stanford, scientists tried to find out where cruelty comes from and whether a “normal” person can intentionally inflict suffering on another, feeling his power over him.
As it turned out, maybe even overstepping all the boundaries of what is permitted. Since the study had to end prematurely, in order to save the life and physical, as well as mental health of the participants, who were given the role of prisoners.
In general, follow this link and you will receive more detailed information about what is happening.
Completion
The Yugoslav artist, by the way, did not stop at Rhythm 0. She devoted the rest of her life to creating shocking performances. For example, in 1997, for the Venice Biennale, she recleaned 1500 beef bones.
It looked horrific to say the least. A girl in bloody clothes is sitting on a pile of bones with a brush in her hands and crying, singing Serbian songs.
Spectators left the room, struck to the depths of their souls by someone else’s pain and suffering. And I’m sure they could not forget what they saw for a long time.
And that’s all for today, dear readers! Be sure to subscribe to site updates, then you will receive a portion of new and useful information every day!
Take care of yourself and, of course, be happy!
The material was prepared by a psychologist, Gestalt therapist, Zhuravina Alina