Rumpelstiltskin: A [Fake] History Exhibit

A Question: Could someone convince people that a well-known fairytale is real? Yes. Yes you can. For my MFA thesis, I chose to create a new environment in which to tell the story of Rumpelstiltskin. I wrote a new history of the secretive little creature, which suggests that he has been around since at least the 15th century if not longer. I then fabricated evidence and mounted an exhibition in the University of Texas at Austin Fine Arts Library. To construct the illusion that this old folktale is actually historic fact, I used theatrical prop fabrication techniques, common museum display practices, and an academic tone in the exhibit text. The results were surprising. Based on gallery comment cards and a local journalist’s investigations, visitors walked away either believing my exhibit or questioning what they previously thought merely the stuff of legend.