The following is a translation of a diary entry by Annick Bureaud on Taste of Flesh / Bite Me I’m Yours, a performance by Martin O’Brien, that took place on April 18, 2015 in London. If you would like to read more, the rest of the entry is available in French on the OLATS website.

“Spanning a period of three hours, Taste of Flesh / Bite Me I’m Yours certainly belongs in the category of endurance performance. In the hall of the White Building, a rectangular, transparent plastic tent was erected. Attached to a chain wrapped around a central post is the artist, half naked, his torso confined to a straitjacket and his head fully covered with a green shower cap. For an hour, he crouched on his knees as he dipped his head into a bowl of paint. Slowly, he unwound the chain and—dragging his head along the walls and floors—painted a wide, green spiral. Surrounding the naked man was the audience, covered in blue plastic aprons to protect their clothes, who began moving in a reverse circulation to avoid the paint, man, and chain.

Different sequences followed like a series of chapters or the acts of a drama, which culminated in the final release when—freed from his chains—he escapes, tearing through the plastic wall of the tent. Through physiotherapy techniques, he evacuated the mucus from his lungs and added it to a solution to make soap bubbles. But the core moment of this performance—and that which gave its name—is when O’Brien began to bite the audience (sometimes enthusiastically enough to cause bruises) before inviting people to bite him back. Most people let themselves be bitten and then bit back in a paradoxically light (almost playful) ceremony where laughter rang out.”

Read More Here (in French).

Photos by The Arts Catalyst.