Art in any form is the mirror that shows us the true face of humans, humanity and its inner workings. An art form can expose the hypocrisies of society. It can raise awareness and can become its cause of fall.
1974 will always be the year of Marina Abramovic. She is a Serbian performance artist. That year, she delivered one of the most harrowing and unforgettable statements in the history of contemporary art. Her performance piece, Rhythm 0, has a special place in the history of art and performances.
This piece transformed the gallery space in Naples, Italy, into a social experiment and it tested the boundaries of morality, human behavior, and personal responsibility. For six grueling hours, Abramović stood motionless. All the while she allowed complete strangers to interact with her however they chose. She also gave them an option of using any of 72 objects she had laid out on a table.
Her only instruction was simple but chilling: “I am the object. During this period, I take full responsibility.” Her declaration stripped her of any agency. She offered her body and safety entirely to the will of the audience. It was a performance built on real vulnerability, danger, and the unpredictable psychology of crowds.
The objects provided were carefully curated to represent both care and harm. Some were gentle and showed care. These included roses, feathers, honey, and perfume. Others introduced the threat of real violence and included objects like scissors, a whip, metal bars, and a knife. There was even a loaded gun with a single bullet.
Rhythm 0 took place in 1974 and was performance art meant to show how humans morality can fluctuate when societal norms are paused. She stood still for 6 hrs beside a table that basically had 72 props with no prompt, but the intent was to see what the public would choose to do.. pic.twitter.com/BlCvi7Fv2g
— _Lana. (@craniuminnards) June 7, 2025
The juxtaposition was deliberate. Abramović wanted to confront the audience with choices: beauty or brutality, compassion or cruelty. By removing her own voice and will, she forced the crowd to define the experience.
At the beginning, reactions were mild. Most of the audience members offered symbolic gestures of kindness. They handed her a flower, brushed her hair, or simply observed her from a distance.
But as time passed, people realized she truly would not react, and things started to change. The atmosphere grew tense. People cut her clothes away. They touched her, groped her, and even injured her.
Someone cut her neck and even drank her blood. With every passing moment, the viciousness of the atmosphere increased. One of the participants placed the gun in her hand and aimed at her head.
studying about this performance by Marina Abramovic where she gave the audience free will to do whatever they want with no consequences and they ripped her clothes up and loaded a gun to her face but as soon as she started walking towards the audience they all ran away pic.twitter.com/PVKLuwGLK8
— ilني (@localcigs) June 8, 2025
There were art critics present in the audience. One such as Thomas McEvilley, who observed the performance. He later on described how things went from curiosity to savagery. When people realized that Abramović was actually not moving, the inhibition went away. They really started to see her as an object. It turned into a mob mentality, he said.
“They would do anything to her,” he wrote. “They touched her, cut her, abused her sexually. She remained motionless and silent.” The performance was an example of how quickly social norms collapse when there is a promise of no consequences.
After those six hours ended and Abramović began to move, there was a sudden shift in the mood. It was as if the veil was lifted, and people realized that she was actually a human. The moment she took her agency back, people recoiled from their own actions.
Taking us behind the scenes of Marina Abramovic’s 736-hour performance piece, this insightful documentary profile is a great glimpse at the artist’s steadfast commitment to her work. pic.twitter.com/hxmFYLDS3d
— MUBI (@mubi) September 3, 2022
Rhythm 0 remains a landmark in performance art. It is a haunting reminder of how fragile morality can be. Abramović forced the public to confront their instincts. It also showed how vulnerable one can be when mob mentality descends and how quickly humanity gives way to savagery when norms are lifted.
Decades later, the piece continues to provoke deep questions about the nature of violence, ignorance, and the human psyche.
