Literature versus Traffic

How powerful are books? Well they can apparently stop traffic if there's enough of them. The clever folks at Luzinterruptus, whose temporary light-infused guerrilla art installations we've written about before, are back with a surreal and lovely scene in Brooklyn that I wish I could've encountered in person. More pictures and information about the piece can be found HERE.

Urban Farming : Hydroponics in NYC

New York City has thousands of empty rooftops; flat, unused, full sun, vacant land. It’Äôs enough space to feed 15 million people. Check out this video about state of the art urban farming techniques.



"Keeping agriculture sustainable increasingly means keeping it local. Besides the environmental benefit of reducing reliance on fossil-fuel guzzling transportation, eating local food is a more seasonal and often healthier experience. With concern about food security growing, it might turn out to be safer, too. The folks in charge of the Science Barge, a new urban farming experiment in New York, are bringing local food production closer than ever. In this video Vanessa Rae learns about the floating greenhouse facility, which is designed as a demonstration of how urban space, especially rooftop space in big cities like New York, can be used to efficiently produce food. Self-powered by solar panels, wind turbines, and a biodiesel generator, the Science Barge uses state of the art computer technology and an agricultural technique called hydroponics to grow fruits and veggies using much less water and space than field farming. Watch out, city slickers. Farm country is coming to your neighborhood."

via River Wired.

Tools For Actions

Plant The Piece, a guerrilla gardening art project I created with fellow artist Christopher Humes in which we made guns out of dirt and plant seeds, is included as #54 of the Candadian Centre for Architecture's list of 99 Tools For Actions, which is part of their traveling exhibition "Actions: What Can You Do With The City". Check out all the Actions HERE.

Spotted in Louisville: Butterfly Notes

I had a very brief trip to Louisville recently and sadly I didn't get to explore much of what seems like a really cool town. I did however walk around the block that my hotel was on and coming through the alley I spotted this small grouping of paper butterflies that appeared to be stuck on the wall with chewing gum. There was some cryptic handwritten text on them about masonry, so perhaps they were a really ill-conceived ad campaign, but if they were just street art it was quite lovely surprise to come upon.

Dead Park

Luzinterruptus created Lifeless Square as a commentary on the sad/uninviting state of some of Madrid urban plazas. They transformed the large boring grey granite slab seating into tombs complete with candles, flowers, and photos of the deceased. More details and images HERE.

Autonomous Public Art Workshop

Once again the work of the Autonomous Public Art Workshop makes me wish I could find a way to spend some time in Madrid, Spain with Javier Abarca, who teaches the course at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Ces Felipe II. Shown are images from the projects "Little pieces of paper in walls", "District 85", and "Garbage".

Linkage: From Kafka Pest Kontrol to B'eau Pal Water

Yikes, where does the time go?! After heading down to Austin to talk at the How Design Conference and then opening After Life my art show at Quirk Gallery and finally a business trip to NYC, I've finally caught up with things enough in the office to return to my non-skull related blogging. First up, a bunch of links that have been sitting on my shelf that haven't quite hit their expiration date yet...


Literary reference trucks deliver books and a message about reading. (image shown, more HERE) via

SpecWatch keeps you updated on the insidious world of design competitions/crowdsourcing. Thanks @PrixMadonna

Captcha graffiti to tell if you're human or not. (image shown) via

A public bicycle counter shows that you are not the only one on two-wheels in Copenhagen.

Get a free brochure on how not to greenwash from Roughstock Studios.

You know you want a USB-powered chainsaw! via

Traitor Joe's gives you the dirt on a well-known (and similarly named) grocery chain's seafood sources. via

Bizarre attempt for a multi-national corporation to "localwash" (the local movement's equivalent of greenwashing). via

Boring flyers get free makeovers from Cardon Copy! (image shown) via

Reincarnated McMansion is going to take 1 wasteful house and turn it into 2 green homes! Thanks Stephanie!

The 3/50 Project wants to save local brick & mortar stores with your help. Thanks Mim!

Eco-Mag, a magazine about art, design & sustainability, is available as a free downloadable PDF via

B'eau Pal Water is the Yes Men's response to Dow Chemical's toxic waste in Bhopal. via

What happens when you put pianos on the street for anyone to use?

No Longer Empty turns vacant storefronts into art venues. via

Artist Favianna Rodriguez explains why is graffiti a good thing.

Eco-friendly cardboard coffins, come with the image of your choice printed directly on them. Thanks Amy!

Jamba Juice rips off Get Your War On! Thanks Kate!

Grand is turning their junk mail into self promotion. (image shown)

A newspaper in China goes from printing press to recyling bin with no stops in between.

SafeLink provides free cellphones and airtime for lower income Americans.

Linkage: From Social Trading Cards to Social Stock Exchanges

I'm heading to Austin for a week, so hopefully this'll tide you over while I'm away...


The social reality trading card alternative to Pokemon.

Investing in a Social Stock Exchange.

Taxicab curator. Thanks Carlos!

Fallen Princesses (image shown) via

A classic anti-billboard screed from 1960. via

Eco-friendly alternative to motivational office posters (image shown). Thanks Marc!

Duchamp Reloaded (image shown) via

Clever Condoms

The ocean of plastic is on the East Coast as well.

Mini-Golf meets Art in Brooklyn. Thanks Mica!

Bacardi using misogyny to sell alcohol...to women?! via

And for those of you following the story from last week...
busted Barrel Monster artist gets a commision...from the company he stole from. Thanks Carlos!

Instant Police State

The folks at Luzinterruptus created an instant street of police cars with DIY blue lights made with plastic cups. They were temporarily affixed to parked cars in the Malasaˆ±a district of Madrid, Spain. The installation was in response to increased police presence in the area, read the entire story (in Spanish and English here).

Linkage: From Green Guitars to Green Weddings

Students help Break The Jam and encourage people to Give Way in DC. (images shown)

Jobs for Change wants to help you work for nonprofits.

Patching cracks with Legos. (image shown) via

The greening of guitars.

The greening of weddings.

Free books for London commuters.

Mapping the NYC advertising takeover. via

Starbucks Twitter campaign hijacked by documentary of their anti-union practices. via

Linkage: From Dumpster Pools to Slum Tours

Turning dumpsters into public pools, gardens, skate ramps...and more! (image shown) via

Shop Well With You is a body image resource for women surviving cancer.

Helping street vendors understand their rights visually. (image shown) via

Slum tours, the future of tourism?

Anti-war ads show what goes around comes around literally. (image shown)

Once again Sappi is offering grants for design projects around social issues. via

"Now Slower with More Bugs" stickers for software or organic gardening! via

The future of insulation? Mushrooms! Thanks Carlos!

Spotted in NYC: Poot!

On my most recent trip to NYC I enjoyed seeing this childish but clever bit of commentary on many of the ads that cover most of the open surfaces in the subway stations (I guess we now know why he's called the Deadliest Warrior!). I don't know any details about who created these, so do share if you know the back story...

The invasion of the Miniscule Blue Helmets!

Dutch artist Pierre Derks is following the travels of an army of little men with blue helmets that's been appearing all over the world. His Miniscule Blue Helmets on a Massive Quest site is documenting their appearances on a world map along with photo and video evidence of their presence. In February 500 of the troops took over a phone booth in Delft (images shown). Where will they end up next? I have a feeling their first US visit is in not far off...

Linkage: Coffee for Movies and Against Global Warming (and more)...

Urban Camouflage for Ikea stores (image shown) via

YouTube replaces record store for DJ Kultiman & the results are amazing. Thanks Mica!

As movie promotions go, organic coffee from a company that donates most of its profits to charity is not a bad way to do it. (image shown) Thanks Maddy!

What if magazines aren't allowed to retouch photos? via

A simple statement about global warming with your morning coffee. (image shown)

Unboxed: Bestia Urbanis

I recently was given the opportunity to make some public art for my hometown Richmond, VA. The local free paper Style Weekly offered 10 local artists the chance to transform one of their old newspaper boxes into an interactive sculpture. While the boxes needed to stilll function, no other restrictions were made. In my case I created Bestia Urbanis (Urban Wildlife), by covering the entire box in black faux fur except for the panel on the door, which I painted with chalkboard paint. After adding a chalk drawn face, I left the following instructions inside, "Using the chalk and eraser below to remove any previous markings from the front of the door and give a new face to this endangered creature." The box hasn't been put in a public place yet, but I'm looking forward to documenting it in the wild...

Here's a video of the event where it was unveiled...

Linkage: Pat the Graffiti and Steal the Skull

Need a printer? Why not use one as progressive as you are.

Aww, recycled fur graffiti you can pet! (image shown) via

The world is your open source oyster (in map form at least).

Damien Hirst sues teenager, artists fight back. via (image shown)

Making accessible travel easy.

DesegreGAYtion

These striking images come from the DesegreGAYtion Initiative which "aims to point out the absurd discrimination that presently exists against Gay and Lesbian couples". The artist behind the project wants people to print out "Gays" and "Straights" stickers and place them in public places to elicit a conversation about the state of equal rights in the US. More pictures and info, as well as the sticker template, on their MySpace page HERE.

Linkage

Well this week flew by thanks to MLK and Obama and so there were plenty of links I didn't get around to writing about once again...

DIY laser bike lane via

Urban Repaid Squad makes their own bike lanes (shown)

Affordable recycled paper houses thanks Carlos & Mark!

Women run co-operative housecleaning service in Brooklyn

Replace ads with art via Firefox plugin

LeVar Burton explores the Science of Peace thanks Mica!

Osocio says goodbye to W campaigns

Don't feed the lions: the street art of Posterchild (shown) via

Linkage

Interesting stuff encountered this week:

Coffee shops canceling live music due to costs of copyright laws.

Photoshop graffiti on Britney Spears ad (image shown). via Art Threat

Do we really need a graphic design reality show? via Rosscott, Inc.

Bicyclists get bailed out too! Thanks Mim!

Bulgarian Squat Shops (image shown).

Vertical farming, the future of cities?

Atheist bus ads in London. via Boing Boing thanks Mim!

Fake auction bid protects land from drilling. via Current thanks Leah!

Even recycling effected by economic downturn.

Spotted in DC: Rent-A-Bike

I'm always delighted to encounter things that encourage bicycling in cities, so I had to take a couple of shots of this lovely row of old school bicycles for rent in front of the National Portrait Gallery/American Art Museum.

A quick review of the Smart Bike DC website paints an interesting picture. The self service bike rental program, which has been successful in Europe, is a product of a partnership between Clear Channel Outdoor and the DC Department of Transportation. Clear Channel is the much reviled media giant that has put a stranglehold on American radio, and their Outdoor division controls a great deal of the nightmarish public advertising we have to wade through daily. Happily, there's no advertising on the bikes or the station right now, though who knows how long that will last.

Anyone in the DC area know the story behind the partnership?

And do you think is it better to have bikes with potential ads, or no bikes at all?

Speak of Peace

I was sent these images from Milan, Italy, with the following note:

More than 3000 comic balloons saying "Peace" were placed on top of the city's posters: now from the mouth of every single testimonial comes one single message. The promotions don't scream "cheap" or "new" anymore - "peace" became the key word this Christmas.

Pace, paz, paix, frieden, as-salaam, shalom, he ping, heiwa and mir. Different ways of saying the same thing: Peace.

Peace was the subject of a guerrilla operation to promote the social role of graphic design. The pacifist campaign hit the outdoor posters of Milan, Italy, between the 19th and 21st December, with explicit peace messages.

A silent army of socially concerned designers wishing to do raise awareness of social issues put up one of the most interesting operations of guerrilla graphics to have happened recently in the city of Milan. A universal wish for a peaceful Christmas, to be understood in every part of the world.

The project is a part of Good 50x70.