By mid-2006 Ingo has merged all those lose bits, he had discussed with Jens nearly a year ago, into one bold concept: the pyramid, the economic situation in Germany´s East, the cemetery – and added an all-important dash of globalization. Why not build just one single new pyramid, that will not only serve the local population but could potentially be every human being´s grave?

Ingo had just written a little essay, that is about to be published in his book „Umbauland“. Jens is enthused, both ponder ways to promote that new book, but wouldn´t find much that would not cost at least a few thousand Euro. The initial draft of the pyramid idea is there – and it is somewhat stuck for the first time.

Later that year, Ingo learns about a new programm issued by the Federal Cultural Foundation of Germany. The foundation calls for „artistic and cultural projects which address the changes taking place in the working world“. We suggest an unusual intervention: To publicly pitch the Pyramid as an economic catalyst for the East German Länder. We make it clear, this wouldn´t be a simulation joke. In autumn 2006 we are awarded funds and, in order to administer the project, formally establish the Friends of the Great Pyramid e.V.

The amount of 90 k Euro we receive from the Federal Cultural Foundation sounds like a lot at first sight. In fact, making a feauture-length documentary movie and a rather elaborate publication about our intervention, issuing an international architecture contest, laying a symbolic first Pyramid stone in situ, plus staging a concluding Pyramid Gala will foreseeable strain the budget. Everybody seems happy enough to go for it in any case.

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Image courtesy cayusa´s flickr.