Stephen Hodge, “Writes and Sites”, Fribourg 2008 THE ISLAND After 18 hours behind the wheel of a truck, Christian arrived in Fribourg. He survived the road trip from Berlin on a diet of Van Morrison, Bob Dylan & Frank Sinatra. He almost didn’t get here in time to start the build, as the truck weighed too much to get across the Swiss border on a Sunday night. ‘It’s a proposition,’ Christian says of THE ISLAND. If I’m right, then what he’s proposing is the opportunity to form a point of view, from a point of view, just outside of the usual hustle and bustle of Fribourg. Sitting on the summit of THE ISLAND, you won’t be able to see it edges. Despite being extremely visible, three metres above the pavement, there’s a good chance that you’ll feel very safe, and strangely private. For the next week and a half, any of us has the opportunity to take ‘time out’ on this piece of land - not an island surrounded by water, but land surrounded by the ongoing everyday-ness of the city. Rather than dashing to catch a train, or get home, here is an opportunity to pause, to reflect, and to imagine the ‘what ifs’ of the city planner, constructor and day-to-day user. It’s a proposition, but, like most interesting work, there is latitude in the idea - you can go anywhere you want to with it. Pitch a tent overnight. Set yourself up on a ‘blind’ date. Use it as a cheap venue for a business meeting, or a birthday party. Protest. Dance. Restage the winning goal of EURO 2008. Whatever. But, above all, please don’t treat Christian’s proposition as a purely conceptual one. Seize this unique opportunity. Use it as a springboard to develop your own proposition for the streets of Fribourg. Because, afterwards, when will you ever get to spend three or more hours floating just above the heads of the city’s commuters? Because, afterwards, it will be remembered. And so, the space will be changed. Cf. Project documentation Nr. 49 The Island