Rhythm 0

Widely considered one of the most daring works of her career, Rhythm 0 tested the limits of the relationship between performer and audience. Abramović stood completely still in a gallery space for six hours, placing 72 objects on a table—ranging from items of pleasure (a rose, honey, a feather) to items of pain and destruction (scalpels, scissors, a whip, and a loaded gun). The audience was invited to use any object on her body however they wished without consequence. While visitors were initially gentle, the performance steadily escalated into intense physical aggression, highlighting the volatile psychology of an uninhibited crowd.