The Map as Art: Contemporary Artists Explore CartographyA new book features work by the fabulous kanarinka and the Institute for Infinitely Small Things.
• ( egoistic ) • activistic • architectural • audible • cinematic • conceptual • graphic • strategic • surface • urban • wireless
Keyword: surface + urban
Pavements in some areas of Copenhagen have recently been marked with mysterious cartoon-like labels.
The street artist behind the labels turn out the be the City of Copenhagen, and the aim is to make the streets safer for school kids.
By following the labels, kids are able to find the safest route between destinations in school districts.
The system is personified by a cartoon character named 'Max'. Footprints are used to visualize a route and when there is a crossing or turn to make, Max will show up and point in the direction.
Related: Hans Christian Andersen footstep hack
• www.kk.dk (The City of Copenhagen - in Danish)
Keyword: activistic + surface + urban
The SMS slingshot is a device designed to create digital augmented realities in urban space.
The device is shaped as a wooden slingshot with a build-in mobile phone display, a keypad and a laser. Users can type a text message and shoot it straight at a large facade. A projector pointed at the facade will show the message as a colour splash with the message written within.
The project is designed by VR/URBAN, a group of digital intervention-activists based in Berlin. They will demonstrate the device at various media-festival in the next couple of months. Check their website for dates and technical specs.
Related:
The Image Fulgurator + SMS Guerrilla Projector + Facade Printer + Graffiti Analysis
• www.vrurban.org/smslingshot.html + a demonstration on YouTube
Keyword: surface
The Facadeprinter is a software controled robot, slightly similar to a paintball-gun mounted on the ground.
It can print large images on a surface by shooting small balls of paint on it. It works from a distance of 12 meters and each dot in a print is about 5-10 cm, which is the size of a splashed paint-ball.
The Facadeprinter is created by three young product designers based in Berlin. The machine is not for sale but you can order a print at the website - that is, if you have legal access to a big wall. Check the website for more information and images.
Keyword: strategic + surface
As a part of his graduation project, graphic design student Christopher West is inviting you to pay him for wearing a T-shirt with a message of your choice.
In other words, he will be a walking billboard, promoting your message.
Every week a new blank T-shirt is put on auction on eBay. The highest bidder gets to decide the message and the design. Christopher will print it and wear it for a full week.
The idea behind the project is to investigate the medium of printed T-shirts and apart from the project's performative aspect, Christopher West is also producing a publication.
All the T-shirts will be exhibited at the graduation show at the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. You can also see them on eBay, where a new one is added every week.
Related: Body Billboardz + VoiceVertising
Keyword: surface
A subtle intervention by Canadian artist Lauren Marsden in which she knitted covers for street signs on every street which she has lived in Victoria.
The knits were based on the actual size, colors and dimensions of the signs.
In a slightly similar project, Lauren covered a lamp post with images of bark to make it look like a tree.
Related: Jagtvej Street Name Hack
Keyword: surface
The popular illustrator and New York Times blogger Christoph Niemann designed the bathrooms in his new apartment with pixel drawings made of colored tiles.
The drawings were inspired by famous artists and the creative process is documented on his blog. Nice stuff.
Keyword: activistic + surface
A documentary-like video showing how to create sustainable graffiti.
As it says: "Fuck Roundup. Grassfitti can't be stopped."
Keyword: strategic + surface
If you're in Copenhagen before March 15, don't miss the exhibition 'Til Vægs' (To The Wall) at Kunsthal Charlottenborg.
The recently appointed acting Director Maria Gadegaard was asked to take over amid a turbulent time when there was basically no budget as well as an empty calendar and exhibition space to fill out.
Consequently she turned the problem into an opportunity and invited 40 local artists and asked them to paint and draw directly on the walls, thereby avoiding expenses for travel, transportation, insurance, materials etc. Paint was sponsored by Dyrup (a paint manufacturer) thus further reducing costs.
The result is impressive - like walking through an overdimensional visual book with every page offering something new - and the exhibition has received tons of much needed public as well as critical acclaim.
Image: Snapshot of Ida Kvetny's piece.
• www.kunsthalcharlottenborg.dk
Keyword: surface + urban
Oeps Crew are two anonymous girls (supposedly) from Copenhagen who create small graffiti-inspired motifs using plastic beads
Their work can be found in galleries as well as urban spaces around the world. However, their unique urban tags are never up for long as they are quickly removed - or 'stolen' - by fans.
Check the Oeps Crew website for documentation as well as gallery updates.