Did anyone catch this story first time around? The Untergunther, an underground movement - literally and figuratively - broke into the Pantheon, a very large and famous Paris building, and over the course of a year, repaired, in secret, the clock, which they say had been neglected and left to rust by the authorities. They had a whole secret workshop with electricity and internet access. When they finished the repair and revealed it to the Pantheon's administrators, they were prosecuted. The prosecution failed.
Full story with pics Guardian report with more on the organisation
― ledge, Friday, 11 April 2008 08:53 (seventeen years ago)
That story is incredible.
― Matt DC, Friday, 11 April 2008 08:56 (seventeen years ago)
That title is spam poetry generator, right?
― Mark G, Friday, 11 April 2008 08:57 (seventeen years ago)
Amazing! If i read it right this is part of the workshop they set upinside the Pantheon? Cool chairs. http://www.urban-resources.net/untergunther/untergunther_workshop_ugwk.jpg
― Ned Trifle II, Friday, 11 April 2008 08:58 (seventeen years ago)
Man, if they'd fucked up the clock while trying to repair it, and had been caught, they'd have been destroyed in court.
― Matt DC, Friday, 11 April 2008 08:58 (seventeen years ago)
Well they could hardly fuck up the clock more than it already was though?
― Ned Trifle II, Friday, 11 April 2008 09:01 (seventeen years ago)
these are amazing chairs!
― baaderonixx, Friday, 11 April 2008 09:02 (seventeen years ago)
Ned I don't think that defence would stand up in court!
― Matt DC, Friday, 11 April 2008 09:05 (seventeen years ago)
I can't find out what the current status of the clock is. On the untergunther site http://www.ugwk.eu/ they say that shortly after the clock was wound up, "the stubborn administration asked a clockmaker from the company Lepaute to re-sabotage the mechanics".
― ledge, Friday, 11 April 2008 09:06 (seventeen years ago)
HAHAHAHAHA THAT'S RIDICULOUS.
― Matt DC, Friday, 11 April 2008 09:08 (seventeen years ago)
xp. True. I guess they didn't really consider being caught. They have had a lot of practise of this type of thing over the years.
― Ned Trifle II, Friday, 11 April 2008 09:10 (seventeen years ago)
Related story: artists create secret apartment in mall, inhabit it for four years:- http://www.projo.com/news/content/Mall_Dwellers_10-02-07_1F7B9KA.34baf91.html
― ledge, Friday, 11 April 2008 09:14 (seventeen years ago)
omg their website for the apartment is awesome http://trummerkind.com/theone/Welcome.html
― ledge, Friday, 11 April 2008 09:17 (seventeen years ago)
Oh man, this reads like a Gondry film or something, awesome!
― Trayce, Friday, 11 April 2008 11:37 (seventeen years ago)
This thread should be called
Ever fixed someone's broken clock and not left a note?
― Jarlrmai, Friday, 11 April 2008 11:38 (seventeen years ago)
It's too bad that artists would build such a standard-college fugly apt, after going to all that trouble. Really neat though.
― Tracer Hand, Friday, 11 April 2008 11:42 (seventeen years ago)
How is that apt ugly?
― baaderonixx, Friday, 11 April 2008 12:16 (seventeen years ago)
It might be quicker to mention the ways it's not ugly, but I'm having a hard time thinking of any
― Tracer Hand, Friday, 11 April 2008 12:24 (seventeen years ago)
re: mall apartment: This is not totally surprising. When I was in high school we used to explore the back hallways/passages/tunnels/stairwells in the malls pretty frequently. We were able to sneak into movies for a while, until they finally bolted our access door shut. Also, you could sneak onto the roof by entering the access hall behind the food court apartment and sneaking into a freight elevator.
― ian, Friday, 11 April 2008 12:34 (seventeen years ago)
The network was unknown to the authorities until 2004, when the police discovered an underground cinema, complete with bar and restaurant, under the Seine. They have tried to track them down ever since.
― max, Friday, 11 April 2008 12:56 (seventeen years ago)
Absolutely awesome.
― Scik Mouthy, Friday, 11 April 2008 12:57 (seventeen years ago)
Well, in Paris, this so-called underground network has been pretty well-known since the 80's
― baaderonixx, Friday, 11 April 2008 13:11 (seventeen years ago)
^^^ typical parisian attitude.
― ian, Friday, 11 April 2008 13:25 (seventeen years ago)