location: Schwäbisch Hall, Germany
date: 2002
with: Takehiro Noguchi

Castles for the People was a performance developed during a residency in the town of Schwaebisch Hall, Germany. Many tourists visit southern Germany to see its many manors and castles, posing for a photograph next to each grand residence. In contrast, as a tourist myself, I noticed that a more local expression of royalty was to be found on the many empty cigarette boxes littering bars and train stations. The project explored two details of the lingering influence of royalty.

Castles for the People brought the castle within the reach of any wallet. Stationed in the back of a van, I offered to fold any empty cigarette box into a take-home version of the real thing. Audience members could interact with me only through a small opening in the side door, but could view the transformation via a real-time rear video projection. The van toured popular sites in Schwaebisch Hall.