City of Change

Social Sculpture, Movie and Book

In May 2010, a media scandal was unleashed in Switzerland by the joint announcement, by IIPM – International Institute of Political Murder and Theater St. Gallen, of a “theatrical exhibition” on the sociopolitical consequences of an intercultural criminal case. Death threats against the participants and a parliamentary petition to prohibit the project led to its abandonment after just a week. A year later, Milo Rau and IIPM returned to the border town in Eastern Switzerland with the art and political action “City of Change”. An interim government chosen by the artists by lottery called for the immediate introduction of voting rights for foreigners, setting in motion a heated debate on the future of Western democracies in this era of migration. 

Artistic Direction: Milo Rau und Marcel Bächtiger
With: Diana Dengler, Andrea Haller, Alexandre Pelichet and the population of St. Gallen
Guests: Gülcan Akkaya, Timon Beyes, Daniel Binswanger, Balthasar Glättli, Philipp Gut, Kurt Imhof, Beda Meier, Saida Keller-Messahli, Karin Keller-Sutter, Vica Mitrovic, Robert Pfaller, Lukas Reimann, Mark Terkessidis, Florian Vetsch, Cédric Wermuth and many more

In Cooperation with Theater St. Gallen, Universität St. Gallen, Zürcher Hochschule der Künste (ZHdK), QFLM Studio, Erfreuliche Universität Palace, Festival Belluard Bollwerk International, Pro Helvetia, Verlag „Theater der Zeit“

A Production of IIPM – International Institute of Political Murder