>"For artists under political pressure, reclaiming their body as a canvas is a natural but dangerous choice"A scrotum nailed to cobblestones. Lips sewn shut. Putting a gun to your own head and pulling the trigger. Russian action art has never been for the faint hearted. Over the last decade, the limits to certain kinds of performance seem to be pushed ever further out, meaning that it’s also become increasingly harmful to the artists involved, as they jeopardise their own safety to rally against political repression. Following an incident last week that caused many to think they were witnessing an artist take his own life in a “performance”, it’s time to ask: how far is too far?