Stairs Greenaway

Over the course of 100 days, the state of Geneva welcomed the installation of 100 observation stations. Throughout this period of time, Peter Greenway's ambition was to transform the city of Geneva into a giant movie set and its residents into actors, thus creating a self-realized never-ending story. For the first time, Geneva was “undressed” in the eyes of its residents.

Stairs took place in Geneva and in Munich. The project was a cognitive investigation on the theme of cinema and its language, about cinematographic framing and the transition into a "state of an illusion."

Teaching us to look, Peter Greenway chose to place 100 white staircases in 100 different places. The staircases could be climbed by anyone, 2 to 8 steps at a time, each ascension revealing a different part of the city, creating a personalized fictional movie or reality for each observer. No one really ever stops when walking up or down a staircase; it is a passage, connecting two points. It symbolizes an achievement or a loss; it represents life.

The staircases were placed in public parks or in unhurried alleyways, on bridges and museums, or unexpectedly in the middle of traffic. At night they were illuminated, which accentuated their dramatic potential. In those privileged moments, simple pedestrians became moviemakers, using natural scenery, which was constantly changing due to the weather and the hour of the day.