Renowned performance artist Marina Abramovic is currently being celebrated with a retrospective of her 50-year career at the Royal Academy in London. Known for her fearless and boundary-pushing approach to art, Abramovic has consistently used her own body as her medium, often subjecting herself to uncomfortable and dangerous situations.
One of the exhibitions featured at the Royal Academy is a table of 72 objects, with a sign that encourages visitors to 'do whatever you want to me.' At the age of 23, Abramovic first presented this piece, enduring six hours of intense physical and emotional challenges. The exhibition took a violent turn as participants began cutting her shirt, inserting pins into her body, and even stealing her scarf to suck her blood. Though horrified by the violence, Abramovic found it intriguing that women took charge during the piece, instructing the men on what to do and offering support by wiping away her tears.
