Art Basel attendees were left shocked on Friday, after a stabbing inside the Miami Beach Convention Centre was confused for a piece of performance art. 

According to reports in the Miami Herald, ticketholder Siyuan Zhao attacked another woman with a X-Acto knife – stabbing her in the arms and neck, while shouting that she “had to watch her bleed”. She has since been arrested and charged with a felony to attempt murder.

“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,’” claimed artist Naomi Fisher, who was exhibiting nearby. “I'm so freaked out. I feel nauseous.”

Luckily, the victim – who has now been identified as 33-year-old Shin Seo Young – was not seriously injured by the attack, despite its brutality. “I thought a piece of art fell on her,” said another witness, sculptor Gregg Hill. “People didn't really know what had happened. It was calm and everyone was milling around and talking.”

A spokesperson for Basel, which is one of the biggest art festivals in the US, have stressed that the police were at the scene “within seconds” of the incident, and have sent their sympathies to the victim. “The extensive security provided by the Miami Beach Convention Center is supporting the investigation,” they assured on Facebook. “Our thoughts are with the victim.”

You can read the full statement below: