French artist who spent a week encased in a rock: 'I'm a little dazed'

REUTERS/Christian Hartmann

French artist Abraham Poincheval was freed from a block of stone in a Paris museum on Wednesday after spending seven days enclosed in it.

He entombed himself in a body-shaped slot carved in a limestone boulder on Feb 22 at Paris' Palais de Tokyo contemporary art museum.

Poincheval, 44, ate stewed fruit and purees while breathing through an air vent. He had some personal items such as a log book and an emergency phone line.

"I'm a little dazed, which I imagine is totally normal after one week living in a rock (...) which hosted me well. I thank it very much for having been so enthusiastic about welcoming me," he told reporters minutes after his release.

"Yes, there were very long moments of loss of self, where suddenly (...) you no longer know where you are, but you are there, and that is what was great (about it)," he said.

The artist was helped out of the room by medical team to the applauds of an audience that had gathered to witness his release.

In 2014, Poincheval spent 13 days living inside a hollowed-out bear sculpture, eating worms and beetles to mirror a bear's diet.

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