Brooklyn art collective MSCHF unveils ‘King Solomon’s Baby’ sculpture

Brooklyn-based art collective MSCHF is set to unveil "King Solomon's Baby," a provocative 15-foot sculpture that will be physically sliced according to the number of buyers, with prices ranging from $100,000 for a single buyer to just $100 per slice if 1,000 people participate in this artistic "financial trust fall" debuting July 10 at Pioneer Works.

Biblical Parable Reimagined

The sculpture draws directly from the biblical story of King Solomon, who proposed cutting a baby in half to resolve a dispute between two women claiming to be the child's mother. In the original parable, when one woman relinquishes her claim to save the baby's life, Solomon identifies her as the true mother through her selflessness. MSCHF subverts this narrative by casting themselves as "court jesters" who transform the solemn tale into spectacle—the more people want to own the artwork, the more extensively it will be dismembered.collater+2

The project represents a provocative inversion of the parable's moral lesson. While Solomon's threat to cut the baby was a test that ultimately preserved the child's life, MSCHF's sculpture will actually be sliced apart using a hot wire jig during a two-day performance event that will be livestreamed on their website. This process culminates in a viewing of the fully deconstructed sculpture during Second Sundays on July 13, turning tragedy into performance art that challenges notions of value, ownership, and cultural sacredness.pioneerworks+2

The $100,000 Trust Fall

The pricing structure of "King Solomon's Baby" creates what MSCHF calls a "financial trust fall" for potential buyers. If purchased by a single collector, the foam sculpture costs $100,000 in its entirety. However, as more buyers participate, the price adjusts proportionally—two buyers each pay $50,000 for half, three buyers pay $33,333 for a third, and so on. This sliding scale continues until reaching the minimum price of $100 per slice if all 1,000 possible portions are claimed.pioneerworks+2

This economic experiment forces collectors into a game of chance and strategy. Early buyers must commit without knowing how many others will join, potentially transforming their investment from an exclusive $100,000 artwork into a $100 fragment. The hot wire slicing process will be conducted as performance art at Pioneer Works, with the dismemberment livestreamed for audiences unable to attend in person. By turning art acquisition into a communal gamble, MSCHF challenges traditional notions of art valuation and exclusivity while literally carving up the metaphorical baby.instagram+2

Hot Wire Dismemberment Performance

The centerpiece of MSCHF's provocative project is the actual dismemberment process, which transforms destruction into performance art. Using a hot wire jig, the collective will meticulously slice the 15-foot foam baby sculpture according to the number of buyers who participate in the purchase. This two-day durational performance will take place at Pioneer Works beginning July 10, with the entire process livestreamed on MSCHF's website for those unable to attend in person.collater+2

The technical precision required to divide the sculpture into potentially hundreds of pieces adds another layer to the spectacle. Each buyer receives their physical fragment of the artwork along with a certificate of authenticity, creating a strange paradox where destruction increases both accessibility and participation. The fully deconstructed remains will be exhibited during Second Sundays on July 13, presenting viewers with the aftermath of what the collective describes as a "live aesthetic massacre"—a powerful visual metaphor for how commercialization can fragment cultural meaning.instagram+1