BOSTON – Usually, it’s just serendipity that’s responsible for the moment I come across one of street artist Swoon’s amazing paper cutouts. The New York resident glues her detailed portraits on abandoned warehouses and walls across the city and Brooklyn. But at least until early December, her detailed pieces have a stable, easily located residency at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. Titled “Anthropecene,” which is the unofficial term for our current geological period, Swoon’s work reflects on humankind’s irreversible impact on our world.

The largest installation ever to occupy the Fineberg Art Wall in the atrium of the ICA, “Anthropecene” extends 40 feet up to the ceiling to greet visitors. Swoon’s usual medium of recycled paper—she buys 90-pound rolls of recycled newsprint—combines with a bamboo sculpture for a thought-provoking greeting to visitors of the museum. The center of the piece is a portrait of the 90-year-old Ms. Bennett, the last aborigine to have existed as a nomad. She sits atop a repeating image of Tibetan demons that represent the human need to consume and destroy.

Swoon’s artwork reflects her efforts toward environmental and humanitarian projects. Recently, she has been involved in the Konbit Shelter Project, an effort to assist Haitians who lost their homes in 2010. The portraits she creates reflect her dual ability to both mourn humanity’s destructive tendencies and still be hopeful that we can engage with our communities and the world to instigate change. The ICA, located at 100 Northern Ave. on Boston’s waterfront, offers free admission every Thursday after 5 p.m.

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