"The Artist Is Present" - Marina Abramovic

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2010/mar/19/art-marina-abramovic-moma

In this performance piece, the artist sat down with a chair directly facing her, and invited participants to sit down across from her and see if they could hold her gaze. She was motionless and silent the entire time this piece went on, for nearly three months. The audience can sit there for as long as they want or can. Once iteration, her old friend/lover sat across from her unexpectedly and the artist, who had been emotionless and still for so long, broke into tears upon making eye contact. This piece demonstrates the power of eye contact and how deeply it can affect the human connection. The format of our installation sort of mirrors this one, in which two people sit across from each other and make eye contact.