NEW YORK, NY.- Slash: Paper Under the Knife explores the international phenomenon of cut paper in contemporary art-showcasing the work of artists who reach beyond the traditional role of paper as a neutral surface to consider its potential as a medium for provocative, expressive, and visually striking sculpture, installation, and video animation. Organized by the Museum of Arts and Design, Slash features 12 new site-specific installations and other new and recent work by over 50 contemporary artists from around the world, including Thomas Demand, Olafur Eliasson, Tom Friedman, Nina Katchadourian, Judy Pfaff, and Kara Walker, among others.

A special weeklong Visitor Preview of Slash, starting October 7, will invite museum visitors to watch the creative process as six Slash artists install their site-specific installations during regular museum hours. Andreas Kocks, Celio Braga, Michael Velliquette, Tomas Rivas, and Mark Fox will install and assemble their new commissions in the Museum's 4th and 5th floor galleries. Andrea Mastrovito will hang his massive paper installation, depicting a storm seizing Christopher Columbus's ship, from the ceiling of MAD's lobby, visible to all visitors passing through the Museum and from the street.

The completed exhibition will be on view from October 14, 2009 through April 4, 2010. A Press Preview with participating artists and museum leadership will be held on Thursday, October 8, from 10:00am to 12:00 noon.

"Whether it be through our open studio programs or our digital interactives, our focus at the Museum of Arts and Design is on connecting artists and our audiences in new ways," said Holly Hotchner, the museum's Nanette L. Laitman Director. "This special Visitor Preview of Slash invites the public to watch these visionary artists as they install their work, a process that is usually kept behind the scenes. We hope this special viewing will provide our visitors with a new appreciation for the creative process and will help bring to life the works on view."

Organized by the Museum's Chief Curator, David Revere McFadden, Slash is the third exhibition in MAD's Materials and Process series, which examines the renaissance of traditional handcraft materials and techniques in contemporary art and design. Previous installments in the series include Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting (2007) and Pricked: Extreme Embroidery (2008). Slash: Paper under the Knife is made possible by Kate's Paperie. Generous additional support is provided by the Angelica Berrie Foundation.