The Wall

a night-time outdoor performance-intervention, occupying the UTD theatre in  Richardson/Dallas in a protest against the university’s acceptance of a multi-million dollar grant from the US government to conduct military research. 

Johannes Birringer initiated the surprise performance and with the help of students and faculty covered the walls of the theatre and in front of its entry created a scenography for an adaptation of Bertolt Brecht’s Galileo.

The protest had been prepared carefully and all Dallas media, including local TV stations and news agencies had been informed to draw attention to the performance. 

The performance was staged at 9:30 pm and lasted for about an hour followed by interviews of the protesters with the media. 

The walls of the UTD Theatre were spray-painted with slogans raising protest against military (cold war) research on campus. 

On the next morning, before the main student body arrived for classes at 9:00, university maintenance crews had sandblasted the walls and removed all anti-war slogans.