SMASH STUDIO
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About the Artist
Founded by artists Veronica and Ash Reed, SMASH Studio creates projection artworks and interactive installations that invite audiences into living, poetic worlds. Blending light, architecture, and narrative, their pieces transform public spaces into moments of wonder and connection.
About the Work
Paper Tails
Paper Tails of San Francisco is a poetic, time-bending journey inspired by the legendary canine duo Bummer and Lazarus, two beloved dogs who roamed San Francisco in the 1860s. Told through layered textures and shifting light, the piece follows Bummer as he steps into an unfolding paper world in search of his long-lost friend. Along the way, the story mirrors the evolution of the city itself and the transformation of one of its most iconic sites: the Transamerica Pyramid.
Presented in Redwood Park at the foot of the Pyramid, the work reimagines the building’s own history, tracing the ground beneath it back to Monkey Block, the lively saloon and boarding house that once stood on the site in the 1800s. In one standout scene, viewers are transported into that past era, where a table gathers Mark Twain, Frida Kahlo, and Jack London, figures who represent the city’s enduring spirit of writers, artists and free thinkers. Their presence nods to the Pyramid’s long, layered heritage as a place shaped by storytellers and cultural innovators.
At its core, Paper Tails of San Francisco intertwines the story of the Transamerica Pyramid, the city’s creative legacy and the enduring friendship of Bummer and Lazarus. It invites viewers into a magical reimagining of San Francisco and the quiet wonder of rediscovering a place you thought you knew.