A Sweet Death

cherry wood plank, 19 x 8 cm, 14k golden cast of a cherry, 120 mg of amygdalin, cherry wood lid, cherry stem

The real golden cherry, hanging at mouth height, is filled with the core of eight cherry stones. The cherry pit contains a chemical called amygdalin. When ingested, this substance changes into cyanide by enzymes in the stomach. This cherry contains a lethal amount. Gold disolves in cyanide. So nothing remains after intake.

“I find the idea that you can end your life yourself both liberating and frightening.”

photos: Gert Jan van Rooij