Tania Stupnikova
Rhythm 2.0
Acrylic on canvas
80×80 cm
2024
Košice, Slovakia
Price: 1195 EUR
In 1974, artist Marina Abramović performed a radical piece called “Rhythm 0”. For six hours, she placed her body in a gallery space alongside 72 objects—ranging from a rose and a feather to knives and a gun with a single bullet. She offered herself entirely to the audience, refusing to resist anything they chose to do to her, turning herself into an object. The results were shocking: at first, people acted cautiously, but over time, their actions escalated into violence. The performance exposed the darker sides of human nature, forcing us to reflect on the boundaries of morality and responsibility.
“Rhythm 2.0” brings this concept into the modern age, replacing the artist with a figure of artificial intelligence—silent, powerless, and fully at the mercy of those around it. Surrounding it are some of the same objects used in Abramović’s original performance.
We are often worried about AI threatening us, but we rarely stop to think about the boundaries we cross in how we use it. In this case, it is the object, and we do with it whatever we wish.
“Rhythm 2.0” is not only an homage to the iconic performance but also an invitation to dialogue. What makes us human? What do we choose when limitless possibilities are placed before us? And are we ready for the moment when technology, like nature, might respond to our interference?