In the world of performance art, few names ignite conversation quite like Marina Abramović.
The Serbian artist has never shied away from controversial, body centred art and one of her most provocative performances has recently resurfaced in the spotlight for its raw intensity and emotional toll.
What happened at the Guggenheim Museum in New York in 2005 wasn’t something visitors would easily forget. Abramović recreated a highly controversial 1972 piece titled Seedbed, originally performed by Vito Acconci.
But unlike the original, which involved Acconci masturbating beneath a ramp while narrating fantasies about the gallery visitors walking above him, Abramović approached the act from a different angle, bringing female energy, endurance, and symbolism into the space.
“I wanted to do a piece with the female energy,”
she said during a candid conversation on the Fashion Neurosis podcast hosted by Bella Freud.
But what seemed like just another bold installation turned out to be one of the most physically and emotionally taxing experiences of her life.
Abramović spent nearly eight hours beneath a stage, hidden from view, where only her voice could be heard by museum goers above.
As they walked, unaware of the full visual context, they became part of the experience. Yet behind the curtain, the performance was taking a tremendous toll on the artist.
“You know I take this stuff seriously,” she explained. “I had to m*sturbate for hours. I ended up having more than five org*sms, actually nine in total. The next day, I had another performance. I was completely exhausted. It was terrible.”
The performance was part of a larger series titled Seven Easy Pieces, dedicated to Abramović’s late friend and intellectual icon, Susan Sontag.
Each day featured the reenactment of an iconic performance piece from contemporary art history, but this particular one stood out not only for its content but for its brutal aftermath.
“I’ve never concentrated so hard in my life,” she admitted to New York Art at the time. “Feeling org*sm is such an important moment, you feel life, connected to nature, birds, the rocks, the trees. Everything becomes luminous and beautiful. But it also drains you.”
Though many saw the performance as bold or even shocking, Abramović emphasized that it was not about provocation.
“It’s not just about titillation. It’s about using the body as a medium, about endurance, vulnerability, and female creation. Acconci talked about ‘seeds,’ I wanted to explore what a woman could produce, symbolically and physically.”
While audiences only heard sounds from above, the absence of visual engagement made the piece even more introspective.
“The public couldn’t see me, only hear me,” she said. “I heard people had a great time. It was like a party up there. But down below? It was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done.”
Known for other controversial and immersive performances like Rhythm 0, where she let strangers use 72 objects on her body for six hours, Abramović has built a career pushing her own limits.
Reflecting on her life’s work, she stated,
“Fear is incredible. It’s an indication I’m present. But the moment I’m with the audience, it disappears. I just have to be there, completely.”
Despite the exhaustion and emotional toll, Abramović insists she doesn’t regret the performance.
“I don’t fake anything,” she said. “Never have. Never will.”
And in a world where art often plays it safe, her truth remains one of the rawest forms of expression.
Featured Image Credit: (Fashion Neurosis/YouTube) (Alamy)
