Wishing chair
2003

An interactive performance from the tower of Kunsthallen Nikolaj (Copenhagen Contemporary Art Centre) former Nikolai Church, performed 2 hours for the opening of the show Turmsturm and 5 hours the day after, at Kunsthallen Nikolaj, Copenhagen, 2003

The performance Wishing Chair was made for the opening 12 September 5-7 PM and the day after 12 AM - 5 PM. Playing on the vertical and religious aspect of Nikolaj Tower I wanted to create an interactive and poetic situation, leaving the audience to consider their wishes, with the possibility of having their wishes fulfilled.

I was placed 30 m above people in the tower. When people spoke out loud their wishes (as instructed next to the chair), I was able to hear the wish via a small baby-alarm hidden in the chair. From my little wishing laboratory I then created an answer, put in a small white box attach to a little parachute made out of paper, which I then threw down to the person in the Wishing chair. Not all wishes were fulfilled, because some of them landed on the roof.

There were many different wishes and answers. A girl who asked for a job in Berlin for instance got a hand written recommendation in German. I fulfilled about 30 wishes during the performance, the wishes were among others:
An ice cream, structure; to get to know what it’s all about; happiness, an airplane; to become one with the universe; happiness and a good health for his family, his friends and himself; warm-heartedness; peace on earth; a car; a eternal parking ticket for red zone in Copenhagen; a giraffe
a computer game; just anything; to understand the world; an apartment; to go to New York; to be able to speak Spanish; to make the right decision; more fantasy; the end of installation art; a ladder to climb and pick down all the unfulfilled wishes