Bad Infrastructure

At the beginning of the month, the Cardboard Institute of Technology (CIT) inaugurated the municipality of CardBurg, an apparition of whimsical urban planning created from recycled materials, hot glue, masking tape, and a hell of a lot of cardboard. The city includes over 50 buildings and a favela-style shanty town, as well as an operating railroad, waterfront cargo cranes, a dilapidated highway, and an elegant suspension bridge. The largest building in town -- predictably, CIT's corporate headquarters -- is dwarfed by Mount Killamoncardboard, a volcano which houses CardBurg's largely benevolent overseer Ducksquach.

The aim of CIT was to create a temporary playground where visitors became participants and inhabitants, adding to the history, activity, and lore of the city. It's worked amazingly well. "Tourists" have shown up in costume, with memorabilia and tall tales; they've roamed the streets; climbed into the mountain; operated the news helicopter; and staged events and interviews for CardBurg TV. Sadly, all good things must come to an end. Recent developments in urban legend suggest Ducksquach will demand a virgin sacrifice and CardBurg will come to its catastrophic end during an epic battle between superheroes and monsters at "CardBurg's End of Ages." When the mulch settles, a dance party will be held atop the cardboard rubble. Wear a costume and dance through the Apocalypse.
Fri., April 18, 8 p.m., 2008