Photo: Florestan Korp
Forget graffiti! Dutch designer Thor ter Kulve is putting the "fun" back into functional civic infrastructure with ... furniture!
Joseph Flaherty of Wired wrote:
[Thor ter Kulve's] projects include a swing that can be surreptitiously clamped to a light pole, a wacky sprinkler designed to be mounted on a fire hydrant, and a cozy fireplace crafted to sit on top of a public trash can.
Ter Kulve’s mission is to transform dull locations into stimulating destinations with small tweaks to their design. In a time of economic hardship he is trying to maximize the value of public space, even if it means occasionally running afoul of zoning boards or police officers.
“In the Netherlands it is forbidden to attach anything to public trees, not even a birdhouse, let alone a swing,” he says. “But this is also an issue I like to address — why do we use this common field in this way? And aren’t the rules preventing joyfulness to happen?”
Take a look at more of ter Kulve's art projects: