Sometimes all it takes is imagination, some stealth, and a little elbow grease to turn the mundane into something playful. Rotten Apple, an anonymous art project based in New York City, turns ordinary and forgotten city objects into usable, sustainable mini-hacks. Here’s how they describe where they land:
So, how does that look on the ground? They added a seat on a hinge to a bicycle rack for a pop-down chair:
They turned a forgotten newspaper kiosk into a cold weather clothing bank:
And they left instructions on how to make a functional composting bin out of wood pallets left lying on the street:
Although we don’t know who is behind Rotten Apple (the NYPD might not look too kindly upon mini chalkboards in subway stations or chessboards on fire hydrants), they do draw inspiration from eco-designer Victor Papanek, whose quote is included on their website:
Design, if it is to be ecologically responsible and socially responsive, must be revolutionary and radical in the truest sense. It must dedicate itself to … maximum diversity with minimum inventory … or doing the most with the least.
Head over to the Rotten Apple site for more inspiration, including traffic cone planters and urban hammocks.
