Minster Musings
Marina Abramović is a Serbian conceptual and performance artist. Her work explores body art, endurance art, the relationship between the performer and audience, the limits of the body, and the possibilities of the mind. Being active for over four decades, Abramović refers to herself as the “grandmother of performance art”. She pioneered a new notion of artistic identity by bringing in the participation of observers, focusing on “confronting pain, blood, and physical limits of the body”.
I came across a fascinating article recently that I would like to share. I make one observation at the end but leave you to ponder the article in your own time and space. Don’t just read it and put it down. Spend a little time to thinking about what you have read.
In 1974, inside a quiet gallery in Naples, Marina Abramović created a moment that would become one of the most haunting reflections of human behaviour ever captured in art. The performance was called Rhythm 0.
- But this wasn’t just art.
- It was a test.
- A risk.
- A question no one in the room fully understood yet.
For six hours, Marina stood completely still.
- No movement.
- No voice.
- No reaction.
- She gave up her will… her safety… her control.
In front of her was a table. On it—72 objects.
Some felt innocent: feathers, roses, perfume.
Others carried danger: scissors, knives… even a loaded gun.
And beside them, a simple instruction: “You can do anything you want to me. I am the object.”
At first, nothing seemed wrong. People approached carefully. They handed her flowers. They adjusted her arms. They treated her like something delicate… almost sacred. But time passed. And something shifted. The room changed. Kindness slowly faded into curiosity. Curiosity into power. Power into something darker.
- Someone cut her clothes.
- Someone touched her more aggressively.
- Someone scratched her skin.
- Blades came closer.
The line between “allowed” and “unthinkable” began to disappear. Because there were no consequences. No resistance.
Then came the moment that froze the room.
A man picked up the loaded gun. He placed it in her hand…and pointed it at her own head.
For a second, everything stood on the edge of something irreversible. Another person intervened—barely stopping what could have become a tragedy.
By the end of six hours, Marina was no longer just an artist. She had become a reflection. A silent mirror showing people something they didn’t want to see – what they were capable of… when no one stopped them.
Then, the performance ended.
Marina moved. For the first time, she stepped forward—toward the same people who had treated her like an object.
And suddenly…Everything broke. The audience scattered. They avoided her eyes. They couldn’t stand in front of her anymore. Because she was no longer an object. She was human again. And now, they had to face what they had done—to a human being.
“Rhythm 0” revealed something deeply unsettling:
- When responsibility disappears, morality can disappear with it.
- When limits are removed, people can cross lines they never imagined.
- And when someone becomes “just an object”… empathy can vanish.
This wasn’t just a performance. It was a warning. A reminder that the distance between humanity and cruelty is thinner than we think.
We are living in an age of soundbites. Soundbites that often tap into genuine concerns, worries, even fears that people have. ‘Stop the boats’, ‘send them all back’, are just two soundbites that have been trotted out to me recently. Forgetting, ignoring, overlooking the reality that ‘boats’ are full of people, and ‘them’ are human beings just like you and I.
There are real concerns here, I certainly don’t want to pretend otherwise, and the real concerns need to be addressed. But difficult problems need to be addressed with much serious thought and due consideration and are seldom solved with one-line answers, much less trip off the tongue soundbites. We are part of the human family, and as Christians we affirm that we are all Children of God, created in his image: brothers and sisters in God’s rich design and tapestry of life. History teaches us that when we forget this, or forgo it, responsibility disappears, and morality can disappear with it. When limits are removed, people can cross lines they never imagined. And when someone becomes “just an object” … empathy can vanish.
So maybe ‘Rhythm 0’ wasn’t just a performance. It was a warning; a reminder that the distance between humanity and cruelty is thinner than we think.
Revd David Carpenter
Lecturer
May in Pictures
5 students from the Mirfield College of the Resurrection spent at week on placement at the Minster. They spent their days visiting local schools and colleges, meeting various partner organisations and speaking to the public about faith.
We welcomed the Loyal Georgeans for their Annual Service.
North Halifax Grammar held their Spring Concert at the Minster. There are now so many musicians at the school there is insufficient space for all the performers. The standard of music making from all the choirs and ensembles was excellent.
The Minster was also hired out for 2 more tribute nights, for Pink Floyd and Oasis. These events provide a valuable source of income and it’s lovely to be able to welcome so many people into the church, many of whom have never been in before. Both evenings had two performances and over 1000 attended in total.
The Eco Slot
How long is it since you last saw a live hedgehog? Sadly, in the UK, the numbers of this once common garden visitor have declined by more than half since the turn of the century, and they are now on our ‘red list’ of endangered species. We need to look out for these shy little creatures and help them where we can. It’s not too difficult to do. Here’s a few tips:
1. Make your garden part of a hedgehog commuter route – hedgehogs can travel up to 2km every night looking for food and mates, but our urban lifestyles put obstacles in the way – solid wooden fences or stone walls! This lack of access through garden spaces can force our spiky friends into roads, where sadly they can be killed. You and your neighbours can ease this problem by creating small holes at the bottom of any solid boundaries – it only needs to be 13cm x 13cm so that the hogs can pass safely through gardens.
2. Put food and water out for them – Fresh water is always an essential for all wildlife, so if you’re able, put out a wide based, shallow dish of water. Hedgehogs also like to eat meaty dog or cat food too, so you could put some of this out for them too. Never give milk to hedgehogs as they are lactose intolerant. If you’re concerned about other animals getting to the food, you could make a simple hedgehog house/feeding station (see link at the end).
3. As with helping bees which we looked at last month, try to leave a corner of your garden to grow wild, maybe adding a small log pile for the hedgehogs to sleep under.
4. Gardening safely – don’t use slug pellets (or poisons of any type!). The hedgehogs eat the slugs, so you shouldn’t need to use them anyway. A poisoned slug will be fatal to hedgehogs. If you’re having a fire/bonfire, always check carefully before lighting it – preferably completely moving it to another spot – as a hedgehog may be sleeping under the pile. Finally, if you are strimming any overgrown areas, always check first that hedgehogs aren’t sleeping there – they will not run away when they hear the noise – they will simply curl up tighter.
Lots of other great advice including how to build a hedgehog hotel and what to do if you find a sick hedgehog is available here: https://www.hedgehogstreet.org https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/found-a-hedgehog/
Tower News
The Fabric Committee is a subcommittee of the Finance and General Purposes Committee here in the Minster. This group support the Wardens who have legal responsibility with the Minster Council for the fabric of the whole building. The Fabric Committee is divided up into two halves: one half looks at policies whilst the other half look at operational issues effecting the day to day running of the Minster. Meetings include an inspection of the building. This month the tower was included in the inspection.
The Minster receives a Quinquennial Inspection by the Architect every five years that maps out areas of work that need attention. A few years ago, the Minster received a large grant from the Government Cultural Recovery Fund at the end of the Pandemic when a significant amount was spent on repointing the South Aisle and the East-end of the Minster.
Within the last few months, we have become aware of a failed roof beam above the chamber in which the bells are hung. It is in a very difficult position to access. A full survey of the whole tower was undertaken by rope specialists, paid for by the Friends of the Minster. This survey has revealed urgent high level stone replacement and water ingress in several areas due to poor pointing inside and out. The Development Board has instructed the architect to lodge an EIO (Expression of Interest) with Historic England and their new Places of Worship Renewal Fund that was only launched last week. We already know that we shall need to raise something in the region of £2m for the repair of the tower, and iconic landmark on the Halifax skyline. More information will follow as things progress.
Canon Hilary Barber
Summer Festival 2026
10 days of music, drama, events and worship. Tickets are now on sale via the Minster website or at the Minster Shop. Something for everyone. Please invite family and friends to come along! More details below.
