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Remark The following text has nearly nothing to do with the topics of this website. It is merely published for a change.
© 2007 KD |
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Making of Graduation Politics
The completed "Graduation Politics"
The work for "Graduation Politics" commenced in the summer of 1984. After years of intensive planning, the logistic preconditions to realize the project had been accomplished. Just procuring the materials for the belt had taken several years. However, in the final phase a shortage of supplies became apparent. Literally at the very last minute, the additionally required fabric was seized from two artists who wanted to wrap the chinese wall.
In 1985 an international tender was issued for the production of the 28000 km long and 250 km wide belt. The contract went to an eastern superpower, which offered free processing of the fabric under the condition that the finished belt should be dyed red. Over years the production of the belt occupied most of the country's labor, material, and financial resources. After completion in 1989 it became obvious that the country and its satellites were not able to provide enough red color. The withdrawal from the project caused increasing discontent in the population and as a consequence political upheavals in the entire region. After these events it was decided to dye the belt green.
The coloring was to be done in a reservoir in asia, solely build for that purpose. In order to keep the project secret, authorities told the public that it was about land reclamation and energy production. After numerous protests by environmentalists and provincial governments, a settlement was reached. It comprised the annual production of a manufacturer of luxury cars and the relocation of several dozen animal and plant species, among them the endangered "flamingo hippo" and the "puke tulip (Tulipa Vomitus)".
Concurrently, all available quantities of green color were bought up, causing a shortage on the world market with consequences for daily life. Much of the color was made of crude oil, thus driving the oil price up to new historical highs. International analysts agree that the next wars will be fought over green color.
The transport to the moon was accomplished with rented shuttles, which were pulled out from the ozon-hole-patch-project.
The costs for the entire venture total 300 billion U.S. dollars. It will be financed through the national educational budget, tolls for pedestrian crossings, and an increase in value-added tax.
On a clear november night, the mission was launched. Even with the naked eye, the shuttles with the towed belt could be watched from earth.
Having reached their destination, the two towing shuttles flew around the moon in opposite directions. The knot was tied by landing modules manoeuvering near the surface. The final phase consisted in aligning the belt's ends.
Here we see shuttles 1 and 2 dragging the belt ends downwards, using the auxiliary ropes 5 and 6. Shuttle 3 stays as backup in a waiting position, and photos are taken by shuttle 4.
For the final picture, shuttles and ropes were glossed over, and image artefacts were removed.
Immediately after the announcement of the undertaking, a fierce debate arose about the future use of the fabric past the end of the project. An ecologically oriented party wanted to use the belt for public relation purposes. It renounced doing so when it became public that a large part of the color consisted of plant extracts for which a third of the rain forest had been chopped down.
A receiving company, made up of all interest groups, appointed a committee which made the compromise to shoot the belt into a black hole in space. After a series of expert opinions concerning the innocuousness for terrestrial toad migration in southern Germany, the plan was executed. This led to the occlusion of the black hole and the formation of a green hole, which started to suck in its surroundings with increasing intensity.
Having finished their calculations, the involved astrophysicists sold their long-term financial assets and quit their jobs. Politicians of all parties praised the green hole as a symbol for globalization and free market economy.
© 2007 DPA |
