Monday Vision: Cultural Connectivity
We’re back on our theme of Cultural Connectivity and how design can transform objects, buildings and places to engage and connect people with what’s going on around them at street level. We’ve been roaming around the city and found some interesting sights to share.
The North Brooklyn Public Art Coalition has collaborated with the Open Space Alliance for North Brooklyn and the New York City Department of Transportation’s Urban Art Program to create “Plan Ahead”, an environmental street art installation by the famous graffiti knitter Magda Sayeg. It’s a year long installation of 300 iron rods on Kent Avenue in Brooklyn between South 5th & South 6th Streets, which are covered in colorful knit fabric. Magda “brings a sense of humanity back to the concrete and steel of the city” and we never knew that steel railings could look so cool.
“Plan Ahead”, an environmental street art installation by graffiti knitter Magda Sayeg.
We were also wondering through Astor Place and to our delight came across “Flaming Cactus”, art installations by Animus Arts Collective, which debuted at FIGMENT 2011 and were recently adopted and expanded upon for this years “Summer Streets” program. The lamp posts have been transformed with thousands of fluorescent colored cable ties which create neon psychedelic cactus plants. A reference to The Day of the Triffids soon passed when we realized they couldn’t move, talk, or eat humans. It helps to be a little crazy if you’re a designer, we forgive ourselves (daily).
“Flaming Cactus”, art installations in Astor Place NYC by Animus Arts Collective.
What we love about both of these examples is how our city environment constantly changes and surprises us. The necessary, yet rather mundane looking, objects that surround us can in fact entertain us with a little imagination applied. We like how interesting and unexpected materials and colors are coming together to enhance what already exists. If you can’t build something entirely new, why not make a difference by transforming something to be more aesthetically interesting to the human eye?
Monday Collective specializes in connected brand design ideas. Our on-the-ground discoveries, insights and ideas help others get in touch with people and the world we live in. Get in touch with Monday Collective through more@mondaycollective.com.
