"Instructions: There are 72 objects on the table that one can use on me as desired. I am the object. In this period I take full responsibility. Duration: 6 hours (8 PM - 2 AM)."
When the clock strikes 2 AM, the performance ends. Abramovic slowly lowers her arms, steps off the platform, and begins to walk toward the audience. The video captures the most profound psychological shift: The audience, which had been violent and dominant moments before, now flees. They cannot look her in the eye. They run for the exit. Abramovic later described this as the most instructive moment: "They were afraid of me because I was no longer their object."
That artist was Marina Abramović, and the piece was Rhythm 0 . Decades later, as documentation and video clips of this performance continue to circulate online, Rhythm 0 remains a foundational pillar of performance art and a psychological study of human nature. The Setup: 72 Objects and Direct Consent marina abramovic rhythm 0 performance video
As the hours passed, the atmosphere became increasingly tense. The audience began to test the artist's commitment to passivity, leading to more aggressive and invasive actions.
What circulates today as "Marina Abramović Rhythm 0 performance video" is, in fact, a carefully edited, modern retrospective compilation. The most widely seen version is a 2013 short documentary produced by the Marina Abramović Institute, directed and edited by Milica Zec. It combines: "Instructions: There are 72 objects on the table
When the clock struck 2:00 AM, the gallery directors announced the end of the performance. Abramović, regaining her agency, began to move and walk toward the crowd.
At 8:00 PM, Marina Abramović set up a table containing 72 items, ranging from the pleasurable to the lethal. These included a rose, honey, wine, grapes, scissors, a knife, a hammer, chains, and a fully loaded gun. Beside the table was a sign that read: Duration: 6 hours (8 PM - 2 AM)
The visuals show a state of profound endurance and vulnerability.
Abramović stood perfectly still for six hours, allowing the audience to engage with her body using any of the 72 objects. She vowed to remain passive, not to react, and to take no actions herself. The Performance: From Gentleness to Brutality
Rhythm 0 is frequently cited alongside famous studies like the Stanford Prison Experiment. It highlighted several observations about human nature: