Christoph Büchel's Ambitious Project at Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen Canceled Amid Confusion

A curator, identified as Ivan, rushed to Düsseldorf on September 6, 2016, for a crisis meeting at the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen Museum regarding Christoph Büchel's unrealized project. The museum staff confirmed the cancellation to Die Welt, citing increased complexity in Büchel's plans, which had included a supermarket and visitor sleeping quarters. Gallery representatives were present, and Ivan, mistaken for Büchel's representative, documented the scene on an HTC One M9, posting an interview to Instagram with hashtags like #unrealizedproject. The curator referenced warning signs from Büchel's Venice Biennale mosque installation. Ivan's urgency stemmed from beating Hans Ulrich Obrist, who was expected later, to the story, highlighting competitive tensions in art reporting. The narrative unfolds with Ivan's travel from Stansted Airport via Ryanair, a stop at Schwan Restaurant for Frühstücksbuffet, and confrontations with museum personnel, blending humor with factual reporting on institutional challenges.