A New York-based performing artist has described how a man in his underwear was mummified and strapped to the Hollywood Sign in a stunt that took three weeks to plan.
Sabine Tautou said she and the man, whom she described as her “sub”, climbed towards the landmark in darkness at 5.30am before waiting until 10am to carry out the performance.
She said they then jumped a fence and made their way down a steep cliff to reach the sign’s letters. “It was much harder to climb to and from the sign on the cliffside than I had imagined, but we did it,” she said.
The stunt itself lasted about 25 minutes. Tautou said that after cutting the man down, they climbed back towards the fence, where police officers were waiting and addressing them over loudspeakers.
She also said a police helicopter tracked them during the incident. Tautou was detained and cited with trespassing before being released, according to the account.
Tautou said the Hollywood Sign stunt was intended as a piece of performance art about the entertainment industry’s focus on aspiration, fame, visibility and celebrity.
“Mummification does the opposite, it obscures the face, restricts movement and erases identity,” she said. “Against this monument to being seen, I wanted him to appear anonymous and vulnerable.”
