A man created a "fake" highway sign in LA because he saw how confused the lack of signage made motorists, and it took a long time for anyone to tell it wasn't actually real.
I remember this got posted to HN some time, and absolutely loved it - particularly as the sign was for all intents and purposes perfect and flew under the radar even of the authority which would normally have been tasked with putting it up for months - heck, they even left it in place after having found out it was a guerilla piece!
His observation that if you look the part, you can get away with just about anything matches my experience, though - when in university, the students' union I belonged to had all sorts of hi-vis vests and hard-hats which were used if we had planned any shenanigans - worked every time.
You'll get farther with a hi-vis vest with a reasonable logo on it and a smile than with a smile alone. Bonus points if you also carry a clipboard and a VHF radio.
I think it's wonderful that people are restoring public objects of historical value, but nowhere does the article explain why this has to be clandestine.
The article says that Monum's leadership didn't want to publicise the repair, but why would they? It would be a tacit admission that illegal entry into protected historical sites is justifiable for the purpose of 'guerilla restoration' - wherever such a position is valid or not, endorsing it would indeed compromise Monum and similar organisations. Monsieur Jeannot was surely right in this regard.
That leaves me wondering why simply asking wasn't an option. Are Monum really so resistant to offers of restoration that a few phone calls and a press release couldn't have done the job, saving both sides a lawsuit?
I believe it is a fair assumption that 'simply asking' would entail all sorts of red tape the UnterGunthers simply weren't interested in; after all, Monum would want all sorts of assurances that the restorers wouldn't mess up things, insurance would have to be organized, assessments made &c (Which, don't get me wrong, are all not just reasonable demands, but really what any responsible authority SHOULD do in such cases.
I suspect that would simply take all the fun out of it. So, Monum's stance is definitely valid, as is, in this particular case, at least, UnterGunther's.
And the less is spoken of the guerilla gorilla Jesus [0], the better.
I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that it would take the fun out of it even tho thats undoubtedly true. I think they had no reasonable chance of matching any requirements on paper and it would just end up keep getting neglected. Its a situation without good outcomes as long as you stay inside the guiderails.
And as for that Botched restauration I think the less politically correct term for it was "monkey with down syndrome" at the time. :)
People do unfun things if they belive the results are worth it. I get the vibe here that it was simply impossible to get this done above board because of a deadlock situation.
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