mandy smith + hal kirkland paper cut participants with guillotine

mandy smith + hal kirkland paper cut participants with guillotine sculpture
all images courtesy of mandy smith and hal kirkland

paper artist mandy smith and interactive creative director hal kirkland have collaborated on ‘paper cuts‘, an participatory sculpture that invites an audience to experience — head first — history’s most infamous apparatus of death. unlike it’s violent predecessor, however, this guillotine’s ‘blade’ offers nothing worse than a harmless paper cut.

the installation is currently touring the globe, following its first appearance at amsterdam’s de waag — created in collaboration with random studio, responsible for the build of the site and making the interact element come to life — and the pick me up festival at somerset house in london. visitors to the exhibit are invited put their neck on the line within the circular restraint, enclosed within the colorful paper barrier. long, wavy strands of thin pink and white sheets stream down the sides of the supporting beams, reminding ‘victims’ trapped inside of the delicate material’s gentle function. every time the paper blade falls, a camera is triggered to capture the real-time expression of the those ventured to participate, each fearful face forever immortalized.

the final paper sculpture in london
photo by aaron tilley

visitors to the installation are asked to put their neck on the line to experience the sculpture

the paper blade falls onto the participant’s neck

interacting with the paper sculpture

a camera records each visitors reaction

held within the paper guillotine

the aftermath

(right) the paper sculpture in london
photo by aaron tilley

making-of the paper guillotine

white and pink paper flows down the sides of the supporting beams