regina jose galindo-looting

I've heard about this work on yesterday's symposium. a vague image on one of the slide shows, it did not unravel itself until the speaker told about the story behind the almost invisible object on a conventional museum display, the gold fillings that the artist had in guatemala, which she got it removed in Berlin. performing, underlining the colonial history, colonial relations with her body.
 the remnant of the performance does work quite successfully in this particular work, although I can only imagine how the remnants, relics of this performance were displayed. the work exists in the form of narrative, anecdote, story for me. which makes me think about my own work, and how to incorporate the story, context, process into the work.
on Galindo's own website there is one image for the looting, artist's mouth wide opened with a medical tool, showing her teeth. and a spanish text. the work's existence has become a circulating story, and as the oral account, document, narrative of the performance it is more telling than the object on display.
Is the object necessary in this case?
Do we need to witness the event as audience?
Do we need to be there in Venice biennial and see the golden fillings on red cushions?
considering that in her other works Galindo's body is overly present, exposed, the process is documented from the beginning to the end, there is a big shift in relating the audience with the actual performance. A more subtle, and toned down voice that would (i imagine) make the audience to dwell on it longer, not feeling intimidated by that body thrown onto us, as is with most of the performance, body art, that does not try to outbeat us.