Here is what the surviving video (available on YouTube and art archives) shows in sequence:
The violence escalates. Using the razor blade, an audience member cuts her neck just enough to draw blood. Another sucks the wound. The video shows Abramović’s eyes watering, but she does not move. She has ceded control.
If you or someone you know is struggling with the emotional impact of viewing extreme performance art, consider discussing the work with a therapist or art historian. Abramović herself has said that Rhythm 0 caused her PTSD—proof that even the artist was not immune to its power.
: A table was set with items ranging from pleasure (rose, honey, perfume) to pain and death (scalpel, whip, metal bar, and a loaded gun with a single bullet).