How Do You Write a Risk Assessment for Lips of Thomas?

Abstract

Art students who experiment, think differently and take risks are often praised for their efforts. But what happens when students become interested in developing performance-based work involving risk of injury and physical pain? Such work has strong art historical precedents and projects by, for example, Marina Abramović, Stuart Brisley, Chris Burden, Gina Pane and Denis Oppenheim provide a legitimate framework for students to claim their interests are grounded in established practice. This article explores how academic staff navigate the ethical, moral and legal issues provoked by students setting out to self-harm, expose themselves or otherwise cause themselves an injury as part of their art practice. The article discusses the authority of the tutor and how health and safety legislation works within the context of performance art. Finally, through the process of writing a risk assessment for Marina Abramović’s formative 1974 work Lips of Thomas, the article aims to discover the limits of what is possible within an educational institution today.