A patron attending the Art Basel festival in Miami Beach on Friday night was attacked by another guest, who was wielding an X-Acto knife, according to the Miami Herald. Bystanders told the paper that the scene in the Miami Convention Center was so sudden and disturbing, they initially thought it was a piece of performance art.
The woman, identified by the New York Post as Shin Seo Young, 33, reportedly told police that she confronted the suspect, 24-year-old Siyuan Zhao, who had been following her. Young was then stabbed in the neck and shoulder. She was taken to a nearby hospital and is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Zhao was apprehended by police and taken into custody. An arrest affidavit obtained by the Post states that she told police, "I had to kill her and two more! I had to watch her bleed!" Young said she does not know Zhao.
Art Basel organizers put out a statement shortly after the incident: "At 5:20pm a visitor was assaulted by another visitor in the Nova sector of the fair. The attack was an isolated incident that was immediately secured. The suspect was apprehended by police who were at the scene within seconds of the incident. The extensive security provided by the Miami Beach Convention Center is supporting the investigation."
The assault happened near an installation called "The Swamp of Sagittarius," by Naomi Fisher and Agatha Wara. Fisher didn't witness it herself, but told the Herald, "A guy walked up to me and said, 'I thought I saw a performance, and I thought it was fake blood, but it was real blood.'"
OPENER IMAGE: Courtesy Art Basel.
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