Die Guillotine is an experiment by Rouven Materne and Iman Rezai, who have decided to explore how democracy works in the online world.
The two artists have constructed a 12-foot florescent-colored guillotine that they plan to use to decapitate an unsuspecting sheep unless the results of an online poll conclude “nein.”
A university spokesperson has assured the public that the two will not follow through with the plan, but both artists assert that they are determined to see this project through to fruition.
Twenty-one days remain before the poll closes and thus far nearly a million people have cast their votes with roughly equal numbers in favor and against the proposed execution. You too can exercise your belief in the sanctity of life or satisfy your morbid curiosity by voting "nein" or "ja."
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Online Democracy
- The use of digital platforms and tools to enable democratic decision-making processes and crowd-sourced decision making.
- Performance Art
- Art installations, exhibits, and performances that involve live interaction, participation, and feedback from audiences.
- Controversial Art
- The creation and display of art installations that explore provocative, taboo or sensitive topics and themes.
Where This Applies
- Technology
- Developing platforms, applications and tools for digital and online democratic decision-making.
- Entertainment
- Funding, producing and exhibiting live action, participatory and provocative art performances for audiences.
- Marketing
- Developing, executing and measuring marketing campaigns that leverage provocative, taboo or sensitive themes associated with controversial art installations.
