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AnonyMouse: Tiny Rodent-Sized Shops Installed Along Swedish Sidewalks

15 Dec

[ By SA Rogers in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

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It would be easy to miss this incredibly tiny rodent-sized shop set into a wall in Malmö, Sweden, if not for the lights advertising its red-and-white-striped awning and the miniature foods in its window. Crouch down, peer beyond the glass and you’l see an enticing array of nuts displayed like bread and meat. Then, all of the other details start to register, and you realize just how complex this installation really is.

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The miniature intervention is the work of AnonyMouse, an anonymous art collective posting images of the scene on Instagram. It features the ‘Noix de Vie’ (Nuts of Life) bakery alongside an Italian bistro called ‘Il Topolino,’ with a cafe table, picnic blanket and planter set up outside.

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The walls outside the businesses are plastered with tiny posters that say things like “peace, love & polar bears” and advertise a movie called “Night of the Were-Rat.” The bakery and restaurant are both full of minuscule framed photos and a tiny menu is posted outside the door. A spray-painted Guy Fawkes face bears mouse ears in a twist on classic Anonymous imagery.

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The gritty details of the scene really drive home its realism, from the peeling paint and tiny weeds in the sidewalk cracks to the weathered, padlocked utility box. The installation is a hit with passersby, and the creators say people have been bringing their pet rodents to visit.

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“Without spoiling too much we can tell you that we’re working on a new scene, and in 2017 you’re going to be able to see plenty more!”

[ By SA Rogers in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

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Posted in Creativity

Germany Puts Stoplights in Sidewalks for Distracted Pedestrians

28 Apr

[ By WebUrbanist in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

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Walkers preoccupied with their mobile devices as they traverse Augsburg, Germany, are starting to notice something new in their peripheral vision: sidewalk-embedded traffic lights designed to let them know when to stop and when to go.

sidewalk embedded traffic signals

The city, concerned about people looking down and ignoring traffic signals, decided to step in with this new invention. The design addresses both people who are at risk of walking out into active lanes, but also lets those standing and staring into their phones when they can safely walk again.

Currently, the city is testing these out in two prime trial locations where railroad tracks run roughly at the same level as sidewalks, making it easy for people to miss physical cues (like a change in pavement elevation) and where a vehicle is less likely to be able to stop in time (train versus car).

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A survey conducted in Berlin and several other European countries revealed that nearly 20% of pedestrians (mostly younger people) missed the signal change because they were distracted by their phones. Whether the city should accommodate such behavior is, of course, another question entirely.

According to Stadtwerke Augsburg (translated), “The stubborn look at the smartphone can lead on the road to dangerous situations,” hence the decision “to enhance security for smartphone users.”