Rhythm 0: A Slide Show Today
By hour three, the rose is forgotten.
In 1974, the Serbian artist Marina Abramović asked that question not with words, but with her own body. The result was a six-hour performance piece called Rhythm 0 — and it remains one of the most disturbing, essential works of art ever created.
Then, someone picks up the scissors.
Someone else does swing. (She will later count four deep bruises on her hand.) ![A woman being carried like a doll]
For the first hour, the audience is shy. Nervous laughter. People step forward, then step back. rhythm 0: a slide show
Every single person runs for the exit. No one can look her in the eye. No one can face what they have done — or what they allowed to happen.
It feels like a game. People smile. They are being kind . ![Scissors near a woman's sleeve] By hour three, the rose is forgotten
They lift her onto the table. They spread her legs. They insert a metal rod into her vagina. They cut her clothes completely off with the razor blade.
