The work Sex Object has a simple scenario. Head covered by a latex hood, Lydia Schouten is held by a leather corset, leaving her breast and buttocks naked, that is held by a metal frame with attached rubber bands. Underneath a collection of balloons hung in front of Lydia Schouten, is a banner with bold letters reading “how does it feel to be a sex object?” (“Sex Object”). With the whip in her hand, she aggressively starts smashing the balloons, but having trouble keeping her balance as the rubber bands pull her back and her sight prevented by the latex hood (“Sex Object”).
Sex Object – like the other performance art pieces discussed within the essay – has many elements of aggression, starting with the title of the act: Sex Object. Simple, but bold, it can be seen as a direct message to the audience, representing how women were categorized as “something” or as an object to satisfy men, which can still be seen today. The corset Lydia Schouten is wearing is so tight fitting that it cuts off her oxygen and is attached to a metal frame by rubber bands, which can a metaphor in two ways. Because the purpose of a corset is to form fit the female body, it demonstrates how women are forced to fit in a certain body type/standard. The rubber bands
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In Rhythm 0, Abramović gave the audience the power to use one of seventy-two objects on her body. Some members proceed to harm her, using objects like a knife, scissors, or the gun and other tried to protect and comfort the artist. It manifests “gender, sexuality, and the tension between male and female physicality and mind” (“Marina Abramovic and the Art of Female Sacrifice”). Unique to other performances, Rhythm 0 enabled the audience to bring alive the aggression, proving that the response to violence and violations lie in the hands of man since the majority of members trying to harm Abramović were