Helter Skelter explores public spaces, the value attributed to them, and how historic objects are perceived once they become obsolete. The Montgomery Street Park Helter Skelter is a structure surrounded by fond memories. Installed during a park renovation in the late 1980s, although its exact installation date remains unclear, one thing is certain: it holds a special place in the memories of many. Generations of people remember it vividly, whether it was the exhilaration of climbing its sketchy stairs for the first time, the inevitable bruises, or worse, broken bones, from its daring descent, or even the less wholesome memories of those who would drink cans at the top of it, pissing down it once they were done.

In late 2024, Pauly began the process of dismantling the structure by hand in a council depot under tight time constraints Over the following months, he reworked and reimagined the helter skelter’s weathered parts in his Leith studio. The structure’s chipped paint, rusted surfaces and layers of graffiti became central to the final pieces, treated not as damage but as visual records of time, use and shared memory.

The project invites a sense of genuine connection. Its rough textures and unpolished surfaces create space for personal reflection, allowing viewers to project their own experiences onto the work. By preserving and transforming the helter skelter, the project speaks to the emotional life of public objects and the importance of valuing final pieces, treated not as damage but as visual records of time, use and shared memory.

In May 2025, the finished works were displayed at Sett Studios in Leith, Edinburgh, just a 10 minute walk from where the original structure one stood.