In public space we trust
Since last September the Dutch artistic duo Jeroen Koolhaas and Dre Urhahn, also known as Haas & Hahn, has been working in Philadelphia (USA), invited by Mural Arts, in order to revitalize one of the city’s oldest commercial corridors: a section of Germantown Avenue in North Philadelphia at the intersection of Lehigh Avenue.
Italian artist massimo bartolini has developed an expansive outdoor public library entitled ‘bookyard’ for belgian art festival, TRACK: a contemporary city conversation in ghent. Bartolini has employed his creative, mixed media talents to develop a set of twelve bookcases installed in st peter’s abbey vineyard, sint-pietersplein 14, the establishment originating in the middle ages. the sweeping shape of green shelves has been constructed upon a small grassy field, then moving up the gradual slope of st peter’s abbey in line with their vines.
The units are filled with books for sale by the public libraries of ghent and antwerp with the profits of these items to benefit the institutions. Visitors to the exhibition may bring home a piece of the artwork, an object housed in the shelves of ‘bookyard’ by leaving a donation of their choosing into a small box supplied by the artist and the libraries.
ghent’s intervention project, TRACK, officially ends on september 16th, 2012.
Ciudades Paralelas is a mobile festival created by Lola Arias and Stefan Kaegi that turns libraries, factories and other ordinary spaces into stages for performances and urban interventions. It takes place in the cities of Berlin, Buenos Aires, Warsaw and Zurich.
Untitled #158 is the new architectural sculpture by Aeneas Wilder, where passers-by can observe the surrounding landscape and undergo a contemplative experience. The round construction offers a 360º view and is aligned with uniform vertical wooden slats. The installation is part of pit, the project of Z33 - house for contemporary art that brings artworks in public spaces of Limburg district (Belgium).
Photos by Kristof Vrancken - All rights reserved.
Identity Series is a project by the artist Jorge Rodríguez-Gerada started in the late 90’s as a reaction to invasive advertising and its icons. All around the world his faces of ordinary people have appeared and disappeared (the murals are made with charcoal).
I love my Barrio is a project by Studio Publics, carried out in 4 neighbourhoods of Barcelona (Spain) to foster the sense of identity. The collection of smiling faces taken during the photo sessions was translated into urban projections on Centro Civico Convent San Augusti’s front.
The French web documentary is an immersive exploration of urban landscape: 8 street artists tell 8 different cities, from Singapore to Bogotá.
A Dialogue with Public Space is a project by Robin Howie to engage the inattentive passers-by with London’s public spaces.
Taking inspiration from the 1950’s Human Roulette at Coney Island, Amy Franceschini and Dan Allende from Futurefarmers have created a temporary public sculpture for Shenzhen & Hong Kong Bi-City Biennale Of Urbanism\Architecture. It’s The People’s Roulette, an over-sized wooden structure conceived for children and curious adults, that have fun while it rotates faster and faster.
Luz nas Vielas is the new collaborative project by BoaMistura in Vila Brâsilandia, one of the favelas in São Paulo (Brasil). The Spanish artists have involved the inhabitants in the colorful makeover of vecos and vielas, its typical winding and narrow streets.
In Christchurch (New Zealand) and Hanoi (Vietnam) Wittner Fabrice has created a poetic intervention. It’s Enlightened Souls, a lightpainting project, still in progress, to disclose the wounds of modern cities.
Formula for living (linear composition) by Simon & Tom Bloor for Cotham School in Bristol (UK).
The six miles of the Central Corridor Light Rail line in Saint Paul (USA) is a temporary free open-air gallery for creativity. Since the opening of its construction site Irrigate has invited local artists to present projects, engaging in the community in a collaborative placemaking process.
Light changes both the urban perspectives and the visual recollections of public spaces we usually cross. As it happened during the Light Festival Ghent 2012 in Belgium last week.
© Stad Gent - Dienst Voorlichting
