Bus-Tops in London

Double-decker bus stop tops, animated public art project during the 2012 Olympics in London, LEDsDouble-decker bus stop tops, animated public art project during the 2012 Olympics in London, LEDsDouble-decker bus stop tops, animated public art project during the 2012 Olympics in London, LEDsClick to enlarge

This is such a great public art project. From January 2012 up until just yesterday, a set of 30 red and black LED screens were installed on the roofs of bus shelters throughout the many boroughs of London. The project, sponsored by the Arts Council of England and the Olympics, was titled Bus-Tops and projected images up to those traveling on the upper level of London’s double-decker buses. If that concept alone isn’t nice enough, the added interactive aspect allowing anyone, of any age, to draw and submit their own artwork on the Bus-Tops site, with a chance for it to be projected on one of the many screens, is just genius. Taking a look at all the works (and there are hundreds of them ranging from typographic to illustrative, abstract to realist) showcased on the project’s website, some of the kid submissions are equally charming to those of their more sophisticated and slicker counterparts.

It’s a shame these couldn’t continue indefinitely. It would be great to see similar ideas executed in other cities as well.

Here is a video that explains the project in detail and shows some of the animated works.

via demagazine

JR in Hong Kong

JR, inside out project, photo portrait street art in Hong Kong, Connaught Street Footbridge, collabcubedJR, inside out project, photo portrait street art in Hong Kong, Connaught Street FootbridgeJR Hong Kong Connaught Road Footbridge, street artJR, inside out project, photo portrait sculptures Galerie Perrotin in Hong Kong, Patterns exhibit
Click to enlarge

French street artist JR (previously here and here) is at it again! This time in Hong Kong. The immensely appealing photographer has pasted 16 large-scale portraits of Hong Kong city dwellers looking up, along Connaught Road footbridge in the center of the city. And, if that isn’t fun enough, he’s got an exhibit of his first sculptures titled Pattern at Galerie Perrotin through November 10th, 2012.

All photos courtesy of the Inside Out Project and Galerie Perrotin.

Discovering Columbus: Follow Up

Discovering Columbus Installation/Living Room at Columbus Circle by Tatzu Nishi, cool exhibit, public art, NYC, fun artDiscovering Columbus Installation/Living Room at Columbus Circle by Tatzu Nishi, cool exhibit, public art, NYC, fun artDiscovering Columbus Installation/Living Room at Columbus Circle by Tatzu Nishi, cool exhibit, public art, NYC, fun artDiscovering Columbus Installation/Living Room at Columbus Circle by Tatzu Nishi, cool exhibit, public art, NYC, fun artDiscovering Columbus Installation/Living Room at Columbus Circle by Tatzu Nishi, cool exhibit, public art, NYC, fun artClick to enlarge

This is it! The day New York art lovers have been waiting for. Tatzu Nishi’s Discovering Columbus (previously here for background) opens to the public and I’ve got my free pass to stop over later, however, I couldn’t resist the sneak peek from the VIP listers. The large elevated living room is just as described: built around the famous Columbus Circle statue, that stands tall on the coffee table in the center of the room. The wallpaper print is made up of iconic New York City American images ranging from the Empire State Building to a mustard-slathered hot dog, Elvis and Mickey Mouse. There’s even a TV. Totally nutty and fun. I, for one, am really looking forward to this.

Discovering Columbus will be up through November 18, 2012. Visit the Public Art Fund’s website to reserve your timed free pass.

Photos: AP/wsbtv; Sam Horine/gothamist; vidiot’s flickr; and nymayorsoffice’s flickr.

Caitlind Brown: Cloud

Nuit Blanche Calgary, Cloud installation made of lightbulbs and pull strings, light sculpture, interactive, cool installationNuit Blanche Calgary, Cloud installation made of lightbulbs and pull strings, light sculpture, interactive, cool installationNuit Blanche Calgary, Cloud installation made of lightbulbs and pull strings, light sculpture, interactive, cool installationClick to enlarge

How fun is this? I love it! Calgary-based artist and filmmaker Caitlind Brown created this wonderful large-scale light installation/sculpture titled Cloud, exhibited a few nights ago at this year’s Nuit Blanche in Calgary. Made with more than 5,000 reappropriated domestic light bulbs (only one in every six bulbs actually needs to glow), in addition to compact fluorescent bulbs and chain pull strings, Cloud invites viewers to wander through a rain of pull strings switching lights on and off. When audiences activate the Cloud‘s inner sphere of light bulbs it creates the illusion of lightning on the cloud’s surface. Too clever!

Photos courtesy of James Tworow, Lori.Jane, and Posilucky’s flickrs.

via inspired

S.Alt City Project

Interactive QR code Mural in Syracuse, S.Alt city, street art mural, Irene Cheng & BrettSnyderInteractive QR code Mural in Syracuse, S.Alt city, street art mural, Irene Cheng & BrettSnyderInteractive QR code Mural in Syracuse, S.Alt city, street art mural, Irene Cheng & BrettSnyderInteractive QR code Mural in Syracuse, S.Alt city, street art mural, Irene Cheng & BrettSnyderClick to enlarge

A mural for downtown Syracuse, designed by architects Cheng+Snyder, celebrates both Syracuse’s industrial past and its current status as an artistic hub, apparently. At first glance, the image is historical, depicting a pump house and brine distribution center. On closer inspection, viewers realize the image is a mosaic composed of dozens of unique QR code tile, each linking to a contemporary arts organization in the greater Syracuse region.

Between this mural and the Russian Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennial, it looks like people are starting to find interesting uses, as well as engaging ones, for the ubiquitous codes that never seemed, at least to me, to get people scanning.

Thanks David!

Sing! Karaoke Kiosk

design, karaoke kiosk, international diverse music collection, portable karaoke kiosk, Vancouver, Urban Republic Arts Societydesign, karaoke kiosk, international diverse music collection, portable karaoke kiosk, Vancouver, Urban Republic Arts Societydesign, karaoke kiosk, international diverse music collection, portable karaoke kiosk, Vancouver, Urban Republic Arts SocietyClick to enlarge

The Sing! Karaoke Kiosk is an interactive multilingual installation designed by the Urban Republic Arts Society in Vancouver to encourage more interaction between the various culturally distinct communities within the city. The outdoor booth allows users to choose songs from a touch screen display and sing on the red carpet to the public. The custom player offers thousands of songs in Vancouver’s most widely spoken languages: Cantonese, English, Filipino, French, Japanese, Hindi, Mandarin and Spanish. Karaoke’s cross-cultural popularity makes it a perfect choice to get everyone interacting, or at least laughing.

via Canadian Architect

Typography Bird Houses: Living Typography

Birdhouses in the shape of letters, Typography in industrial design, signage and bird houseBirdhouses in the shape of letters, Typography in industrial design, signage and bird houseBirdhouses in the shape of letters, Typography in industrial design, signage and bird houseTypographic objects, Bird houses in the shape of letters, Bird house alphabet, fun typography objectsClick to enlarge.

Typography and industrial design combine in these fun typographic bird houses. Designer Nishant Jethi of Mumbai created these hollow wooden 3D letters (the complete alphabet) that double as bird houses. Living Typography, as the project is titled, can be used as nameplates and/or house numbers while providing shelter to the many sparrows that have lost their homes with the recent construction of new high-rises and malls. If those sparrows enjoy type even half as much as I do, they’ll be happy to call one of these letters or numbers their home!

via behance

Pay Phone Lending Libraries: John Locke

Pay Phone Lending libraries, converting underused NYC Pay Phones into bookshelves, John H. Locke, DUB, Street Art, Repurposing, recycling, smart urban designPay Phone Lending libraries, converting underused NYC Pay Phones into bookshelves, John H. Locke, DUB, Street Art, Repurposing, recycling, smart urban designPay Phone Lending libraries, converting underused NYC Pay Phones into bookshelves, John H. Locke, DUB, Street Art, Repurposing, recycling, smart urban designClick to enlarge

Architect John H. Locke, who lives and works in NYC, has come up with a clever idea for repurposing the underused pay phone booths that adorn the streets of the city. Locke designed a set of lightweight bookshelves, made of milled plywood,to fit inside a standard booth. Hooks on the shelves allow the units to be easily and quickly snapped into place without the use of hardware. Locke has so far installed four of these shelves on the Upper West Side, and finds the reactions interesting. In some cases the shelves (and books) have lasted merely a few hours, in others a few days.

It’s a great, forward-thinking concept that makes for fun street art as well. Presently, John Locke’s project is being featured as part of the U.S.’s contribution to the Venice Architectural Biennale.

You can see Locke speak about the project here. Some of his other interesting projects here. And here’s a link to the class he teaches at Columbia: Hacking the Urban Experience.

via The New York Times

NYC Culture on the Cheap: Weekend 9/7

Free and Cheap things to do in NYC 9/7, 9/8, and 9/9/12, Affordable Cultural Events in New York City, Free and Cheap Art, Music, Food, Theater, Film, Architectural events in NYC weekend of September 7, 2012Click to enlarge

This weekend’s picks for free and cheap things to do in New York. From art exhibits, to music, dance, theater, food festivals and more, free or affordable September 7, 8, and 9, 2012.)

1. Theater- 20at20 Beginning Tuesday, September 4th, and running through Sunday, September 23rd, tickets for all 20at20 shows are only $20, 20 minutes before the Off-Broadway shows. Check listing. All weekend

2. Spectator Sport/Food/ArtUS Open Live 2012 at Madison Square Park. Sit back, lounge, and watch biggest names in tennis on the big-screen, live as it happens. Food & Beverages will be available and this is the last weekend to check out Charles Long’s drippy Pet Sound sculptures. All weekend. FREE

3. Art – Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s exhibit Voice Array at Bitforms Gallery, 529 W. 20th. Friday 9/7 and Saturday 9/8. FREE

4. Art/Experience/Tour – Chance Procedures in Motion, with Maria Chavez. Friday 9/7, 6:30pm to 8:30pm. Maria Chavez invites participants to join her in navigating the city by chasing subways in available directions. $20.

5. DanceEclipse Dance by Jonah Bokaer x Anthony McCall at the new Fischer BAM. All weekend (check for times & tickets). Friday 9/7 performance has a Pre-show talk with choreographer and artist. $20.

6. Music– Rafiq Bhatia, PEPEPIANO, & icewater at Cameo Gallery, 93 North 6th Street, Williamsburg. Ages 21+ Friday 9/7, 8pm. $8.

Free and Cheap things to do in NYC 9/7, 9/8, and 9/9/12, Affordable Cultural Events in New York City, Free and Cheap Art, Music, Food, Theater, Film, Architectural events in NYC weekend of September 7, 2012

7. Animation/FilmSaturday Morning Cartoons with Augenblick Studios. WEIRDO CARTOONS from the past 100 years. At Bellweather, 594 Union Ave., Williamsburg. Saturday 9/8. Noon to 2pm. $10 includes homemade cereal, milk and mimosa or modelo.

8. Performance Art Flux Factory’s Public Trust. Series of art and performance art events. Two events on Saturday 9/8, Physical Audit and Le Grand Slam Guignol. Check listing for details. FREE

9. Art/DesignStephen Powers Murals: A Word is Worth A Thousand Pictures. Joshua Liner Gallery, 548 W. 28th St., Friday 9/7 and Saturday 9/8, 11am to 6pm. Through 9/29. FREE

10. Art/Music/FoodArtOnBrighton at the NY Aquarium in Coney Island/Brighton Beach. Art installations, Music, and Eats celebrating the creative post-Soviet Immigrants of Brighton Beach and beyond. Saturday 9/8, Doors at 7pm. $10 advance, $15 at the door.

11. Art Chris Ware exhibit: Building Stories at Adam Baumgold Gallery Saturday 9/8. FREE (through October 27th)

12. Art/Music/FoodSculptureCenter’s LIC Block Party. Artist Market, Food Court, Stage with Live Music. Jackson Ave & 43rd Ave, LIC. Saturday 9/8, 12-5pm. FREE

Free and Cheap things to do in NYC 9/7, 9/8, and 9/9/12, Affordable Cultural Events in New York City, Free and Cheap Art, Music, Food, Theater, Film, Architectural events in NYC weekend of September 7, 201213. StreetArt/Art/Salon Party– Pearly’s Beauty Shop Pop-Up, Exhibition Space, 25-25 44th Drive LIC. The artist Swoon hosts a pop-up salon/party of ecstatic aesthetic embellishments to support the creation of a community activated arts center. Saturday 9/8 at 7pm $20 entry. $5 and Up for Salon services.

14. Music/Literature/ComedyJohn Wesley Harding’s Cabinet of Wonders at City Winery. A night of music, readings, and laughs with an array of guests. Saturday 9/8 . Doors 6pm. Show: 8pm. $25 to $35.

15. Theater The Zebra Shirt of Lonely Children (part of the Fringe Encores Series, best of the Fringe Festival) at the Huron Club, 15 Vandam St., Saturday 9/8, 8pm. $18.

16. Art/Crafts/FoodUrbanSpace Meatpacking. Arts and Crafts and food Marketplace. Under the High Line across from the Standard Hotel. All weekend. FREE

17. Dance Fall for Dance tickets go on sale Sunday 9/9, 11am  for performances between Sep 27 to Oct 13. All tickets $15 but they go fast!

18. Talks/Design/Film The Public Open offers tickets to FREE events such as talks by Interactive Artist Ben Rubin (see our post) and Pentagram Partner Paula Scher on their contributions to the new Public Theater, and films of some of the Public’s previous shows. Events are in October but you must RSVP for tickets and they are available now.

UPDATES:

Art: GO: Brooklyn Community-Curated Open Studio ProjectSaturday 9/8 and Sunday 9/9, 11am to 7pm. FREE

Dance: DANCENOW Festival at Joe’s Pub tonight, Saturday 9/8. Doors open at 6pm; Show 7pm. $15 in advance; $20 at door.

Food: Smorgasburg Sundays starting Sunday 9/9 at the cool Tobacco Factory in Dumbo near Brooklyn Bridge Park. Over 75 food vendors. 11am to 6pm through 11/18. FREE

Check back in over the weekend for possible updates or check our previous Culture on the Cheap posts for additional ideas. Most of all, have a great weekend!

Roland Schimmel: After-Image Murals

Het Oog (The Eye), The Innocent Eye at Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Optical effect paintings and murals by Roland SchimmelHet Oog (The Eye), The Innocent Eye at Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Optical effect paintings and murals by Roland SchimmelHet Oog (The Eye), The Innocent Eye at Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Optical effect paintings and murals by Roland SchimmelClick to enlarge

Dutch painter Roland Schimmel is fascinated by the eye and the uncontrollable in our perception. His paintings and murals, as well as computer animations, create visual after-images similar to those one experiences after staring at a light for a while and then looking away or closing their eyes. These abstract works created by airbrushing really play with your vision and have names such as Psychoscope and Blind Spot.

Sophie Tates and Andreas Broeckmann wrote about Schimmel’s work:
The body of work is an exploration of the dividing line between reality and appearance. If you look at his work, close your eyes and see the complementary colors appear on your retina, you also gain a sudden insight into the unrealized possibilities underlying every word, action, choice: the complementary forms of what actually exists.

Presently, Schimmel has a large-scale mural titled The Innocent Eye in the space of Het Oog (The Eye!) at the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven. So, if you’re in the area you might want to stop by before the end of the month when the mural will be coming down.

Photos courtesy of the artist and Van Abbemuseum.

Anouk Vogel: Paper Garden

Folding for Peace, Paper Garden, Origami Garden by Anouk Vogel for Japanese Gardening World CupFolding for Peace, Paper Garden, Origami Garden by Anouk Vogel for Japanese Gardening World CupFolding for Peace, Paper Garden, Origami Garden by Anouk Vogel for Japanese Gardening World CupClick to enlarge

Swiss landscape architect Anouk Vogel lives and works in the Netherlands. Her Paper Garden titled Folding for Peace, was commissioned by the Gardening World Cup (who knew?) in Nakasaki, Japan, last year. Inspired by an ancient Japanese legend which promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish, such as long life or recovery from illness, Vogel folded thousands of paper flowers and plants with the wish for world peace.

Photos: Jeroen Musch

via tribeart

Alicia Martin: Paper Biennial Book Sculpture

Book sculpture of thousands of books pouring out Museum Meermanno window, by Alicia Martin, contemporary sculpture from SpainBook sculpture of thousands of books pouring out Museum Meermanno window, by Alicia Martin, contemporary sculpture from SpainBook sculpture of thousands of books pouring out Museum Meermanno window, Alicia MartinClick to enlarge

As part of the Paper Biennial 2012 at the Meermanno Museum in The Netherlands, Spanish artist Alicia Martin has created one of her site-specific, signature book sculptures using thousands of books donated by the public for the event. Martin’s sculpture pours out of one of the museum’s windows, down the façade and onto the street. Quite an impressive feat.

The installation will be on view through November 25, 2012.

All photos by Ed Jansen except second from bottom left courtesy of Meermanno Museum.

Robert Kusmirowski: Mock-Up Demolition Project

Street Art in Poland, Demolition Project part of Artboom Festival, Robert KusmirowskiStreet Art in Poland, Demolition Project part of Artboom Festival, Robert KusmirowskiStreet Art in Poland, Demolition Project part of Artboom Festival, Robert KusmirowskiPolish artist Robert Kusmirowski is known as a “counterfeiter and manipulator of reality”. Most of his works/installations are based on the recreation of old objects, documents, photographs and situations that are astonishingly authentic in appearance. In general, they have no defined original from which they are copied. One example of these works was the temporary installation The Façade in which Kusmirowski created a perfect copy of a slum-like façade (typically found in a Polish alley) in Blankenberge, Belgium, among the carefully-tended seaside townhouses. His re-creations become symbols of ephemerality; addressing the fleeting nature of life and death of material culture.

Kusmirowski’s Mock-Up of the Demolition Project, pictured above, is virtually the opposite of the previously mentioned project, but similarly themed. A building, ready to be demolished, was painted white along with all the objects related to it—down to the wash hanging outside a window— as well as painted markings indicating places where the wrecking ball would strike. In essence: a model for deconstruction rather than construction. And I would assume his choice of white paint ties in with his conviction that “everything white and clean is soulless.”

Kusmirowski’s most recent installation, Pain Thing, was exhibited at this summer’s Edinburgh Festival in Scotland.

via artboom

Puck: Cinema Caravana

Mobile Cinema Van, Animated Shorts, Ambulatory Cinema Caravan in Spain, Carles Porta and Toni TomasMobile Cinema Van, Animated Shorts, Ambulatory Cinema Caravan in Spain, Carles Porta and Toni TomasMobile Cinema Van, Animated Shorts, Ambulatory Cinema Caravan in Spain, Carles Porta and Toni TomasClick to enlarge

We’ve seen plenty of food trucks and even clothing caravans but, at least for me, Puck Cinema Caravana: The Smallest Cinema on Earth, is the first cinema truck I’ve encountered. A colorfully painted trailer that acts as an ambulatory theater showing short animated films, Puck opened in the summer of 2009. Founders Toni Tomas and Carles Porta created the mobile cinema in Bellpuig, Spain. They pride themselves on showing rare animations, some, I believe, created by Carles Porta himself with the help of Ruben Hengesbach.

Maybe a bit crowded, but a very appealing and cute idea. Here’s one of their trailers:

All photos by Carles Porta.

via calle 20

David Byrne’s Typographic Bike Racks

BAM alphabet bike racks by David Byrne, Pink CrownBAM alphabet bike racks by David Byrne, Micro LipDavid Byrne designed Bike racks with fun shapes in nyc 2008Click to enlarge

David Byrne is at it again. The well-known musician, who is often seen cycling around town, was invited by BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) to design new bike racks to replace their old utilitarian ones. Byrne, having designed a series of fun bike racks for NYC in 2008 with shapes ranging from dogs and cars to high heels and guitars, decided to go typographic this time around. Realizing that with a semi circle, line and ‘v’ shape he could create most of the letters of the alphabet, he designed racks that create different words. The racks installed yesterday spell out “Pink Crown” and “micro lip” both chosen by designer Byrne. The bike rack words will change periodically, and BAM may be soliciting suggestions from its audiences in the future for new words.

Top two photos by Dino Perrucci. Third photo by G.R. Christmas and bottom by Jason Accime.

via Brokelyn via BAM’s facebook

Dan Witz: Do Not Enter Project

Dan Witz, Street Art, Do not Enter project, Jonathan LeVine Gallery Detournement: Signs of the Times, humorous modification of street signsDan Witz, Street Art, Do not Enter project, Jonathan LeVine Gallery Detournement: Signs of the Times, humorous modification of street signsDan Witz, Street Art, Do not Enter project, Jonathan LeVine Gallery Detournement: Signs of the Times, humorous modification of street signsDan Witz, Street Art, Do not Enter project, Jonathan LeVine Gallery Detournement: Signs of the Times, humorous modification of street signsClick to enlarge

We went through the very quiet August streets of Chelsea last Thursday evening and stopped by the Jonathan LeVine Gallery to find a great show that included several works by Dan Witz from his Do Not Enter Project. The Brooklyn-based artist started the project in 2007, creating his own modifications – sometimes humorous, sometimes politically charged – of Do Not Enter signs and has since continued with the project in 2011 and 2012. The signs have been placed on the streets of Brooklyn, Vienna, Norway and Poland. The bald, white face that appears in many of the signs is Witz himself.

You can see some of Dan Witz’s signs at the Jonathan LeVine Gallery in NYC as part of the Detournement: Signs of the Times exhibit through this Saturday, August 25, 2012.

Tatzu Nishi: Discovering Columbus

Living room above Columbus Circle in NYC, with statue popping up in center, Tatsu Nishi, cool public artLiving room above Columbus Circle in NYC, with statue popping up in center, Tatsu Nishi, cool public artLiving room above Columbus Circle in NYC, with statue popping up in center, Tatsu Nishi, cool public artClick to enlarge

A couple of days ago we passed by Columbus Circle on our way uptown and noticed massive amounts of scaffolding around the Christopher Columbus statue. I assumed they were doing some repairs but, as it turns out, not at all. Em pointed me to the NY Times article that announced the new Public Art work by Japanese artist Tatzu Nishi, currently being built and due to debut on September 20th. The plan is to build a living room complete with couches, lamps and even a TV that surrounds the statue, six stories up from the ground. Visitors will be able to climb stairs or take an elevator up to the floating living room with Christopher Columbus’ head popping through the floor. Sounds very zany but very fun, too.

This is not the first time, nor probably the last, that Tatzu Nishi does something like this. Other similar ventures include surrounding a statue of Queen Victoria in Liverpool, England, with a temporary functioning hotel; creating a one-room apartment over the roof of a 14th-century cathedral — enclosing a bronze, angel-shaped weather vane — in Basel, Switzerland; and building a temporary hotel suite around the Merlion fountain in Singapore.

Discovering Columbus will be open to the public from September 20 to November 18, 2012. Admission will be free, but visitors will be required to reserve timed passes in advance through the Public Art Fund website.
UPDATE: FOLLOW-UP HERE.

Photos courtesy of the artist and the New York Times.

via The New York Times