Because I lived in Prague 3 at the time, where the tower is, the local authorities asked me whether I would do something for them. When I brought the first sketches of my idea, the authorities obviously had a problem with it. It took about a year and half of negotiating before the mayor of Prague 3 approved the project. It was very complicated.

It always occurred to me that it’s better when things are received with ambivalence. It’s never good when they’re received too positively – like the film Kolja… On the one hand it surprised me, but on the other hand I tell myself that perhaps in a few decades, when these things start to be received positively, it may happen that people start considering that a sculpture in the city is an interesting and pleasant thing. In some cities to the west of our borders, people have understood that tourists will come visit them if they build something weird in a public space – that it may be of benefit to them. Paradoxically, Chicago, which is a bit of a police state where people aren’t allowed to cross on red, has the largest number of sculptures in public spaces and it’s great. The city is known for this and lots of people travel there just for this reason. You walk down the street, come across these things, and it’s enormous fun. Things here don’t work that way yet.

It was crazy. The fact that it came together is fantastic, but it’s still as if the country isn’t prepared for the fact that a private person could do something of the sort. Only with some wealthy guarantor covering their backs. There were incredible problems, especially with production – for three months I was just running around and talking on the phone. But I’ve got a good feeling that at least after four years, it’s come through.