Performance art is a little weird if we think about it. It involves you, the artist, essentially adopting the status of a zoo or circus animal, performing quaint tricks for an indulgent audience to enjoy. The only difference is, we call it art, sometimes saying the word ‘art’ with a posh accent and overly flowery hand gestures.

But slightly immature jokes about performance art aside, there is a reason that arguments on the merits of performance art is more polarised than non-performance art. Some people think it is pretty cool, some think it is extremely pretentious (this group is quite vocal).

Well the main reason is that lot of people do not quite understand a lot of performance art. In essence, what is ‘the point’? This includes me too. For instance, I fail to see the point of Vito Acconci masturbating on stage to people’s voices (1972. The performance was called Seedbed).

But, people still harshly criticize performance art where the point is more obvious, and I think a reason for that may have to do with subtlety and the fact that the artist and audience is face-to-face.

With non-performance art – paintings, sculpture, prose, poetry etc. – there is a sort of disconnect between the artist and the receiver. Whatever words you read from a book, it is just words. Words that may arouse deep emotions, but words regardless. I am not sure a lot of people imagine a writer talking to them as they read a novel (it’s more their own voices). For a painting, it is more of how you interpret it. Even in cases where the idea that the art is trying to pass across may be very obvious, you are comfortable, you are in your own head, and you can ruminate on it, one small step at a time.

Non-performance art is not in-your-face Performance art on the other hand, can be more emotionally resonant because the artist is in front of you, and you see whatever is being created, so whatever message the artist wants to pass across smacks you in the face. You do not take breaks, there is no place to hide. You take everything in at once. It is not at all subtle.

But while performance art may not have any subtlety, I think that is part of its strengths, because whatever it wants to say, nobody has no illusions about it. And a lot of the time, that is how we should be confronted with things in my opinion.

Which leads me to Rhythm 0. In 1974 in Naples, Marina Abramovic, then 23-years old, created a...

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