Intermorior: Simon Mullan – BUNKER

Single-channel video (screening edition) HD, 2011

Intermorior by Simon Mullan was shot and produced in Stockholm in 2011 in collaboration with one of the last remaining professional knife throwers worldwide. In the work, Mullan deliberately subjects himself to the ritualistic fairground act known as the Wheel of Death, positioning himself simultaneously as both performer and target.

Mortality is pushed to an extreme through the direct confrontation between the two men, whose roles are fundamentally asymmetrical: one controls the trajectory of the knives, the other submits his body to their impact. The performance unfolds through the rhythm of knives striking the rotating wooden wheel, generating a heightened sense of anticipation for both the artist and the viewer. The ceremonial and intermittent throws – directed at the artist’s body – create an atmosphere of suspense that draws the viewer into the embodied position of the man on the wheel. The work concludes with a fortuitous outcome, producing a palpable sense of relief at the end of the performance.