The energy of rest

The central theme of this performance was the relationship between a man and a woman and the importance of trust in a relationship. For their experiment, Marina and Ulay used a real bow and a sharp arrow, which was aimed directly at Abramovic’s chest. The couple held the weapon together, controlling the tension of the bowstring with their body, and any incorrect movement could lead to serious injury to the artist. The performance lasted only four and a few minutes, during which it was possible to hear the heartbeats and breathing of the participants thanks to the small microphones on their clothes. According to Marina, it was a challenging test, both physically and mentally. She called it one of the most difficult of those tests that she happened to pass.