He's already lived in a bear, now this artist will spend a week in a rock

Abraham Poincheval is set to become the "beating heart" of a 12-tonne limestone rock at Paris's Palais de Tokyo gallery.

Source: AFP

In an attempt to "feel the aging stone inside the rock", French artist Abraham will spend the next week entombed in a massive rock.

Poincheval's body has been carved into two giant pieces of rock, which will come together, cutting him off from any access to the outside world. A number of airholes will ensure he is able to survive the duration of this performance known as 'Pierre'.

Poincheval has already spent:

13 days inside a bear...

Poincheval climbs into a fake bear, on March 31, 2014. Source: AFP

A week atop a 20 metre pole...

Poincheval sits on a platform outside the Gare de Lyon in Paris. Source: AFP

A week inside a hole...

Poincheval before starting his artistic performance '604.800 seconds' Source: AFP

And now it's time to get cosy between a rock and a hard place...

"There is my own breathing, and then the rock which lives, still humid because it was extracted not so long ago from the quarry. So there is that flow, that coming and going, between myself and the stone."

Poincheval performing "Pierre" (Stone), at the Palais de Tokyo. Source: AFP

One of the problems he is set to face is how he will go to the toilet, admitting to AFP that he has empty water bottles and a container at his disposal.

"The stone will absorb some of the smell," he said. "I think I can take it."

Perhaps the main challenge for Poincheval is keeping his grasp of reality as he will lose track of time within the dark, confined space, with the end of similar past performances bringing about feelings of "turbulence inside - it takes several weeks to get back to normal."