.jpg)
Sasha Wizansky Photo
Blaine Merker Photo
It was a cool, cloudy Saturday afternoon and Market Street was shoulder-to-shoulder shoppers and tourists. Despite the crowds, there was little space to sit or relax—the imperative was to move forward, to keep shopping. As in other American cities, public seating and other amenities have been quietly removed over the last two decades to discourage the homeless and others who don’t come to public spaces to spend money. What’s left is a hardened city, unfriendly to relaxation or repose.
But on November 8th, amidst the drab colors of fall overcoats, an improbably soft pink explosion surged through the crowded streets. It was the first American road test of Bushwaffle, a “personal space softening device” (or PSSD), invented by the art collective Rebar. (See early prototype testing) Bushwaffle are personal inflatables based on emergent urban swarm behavior seen in flash mobs. Like legos for public gathering, Bushwaffle are modular, light, portable and easy to use, fastening to each other to create spontaneous structures or street furniture for relaxation.
So what happens when Bushwaffle gather? It’s hard to predict. Bushwaffle don't come with instructions, so each new group of users implements their own plan spontaneously, informed by their surroundings. Like an algal bloom, the individual units grow together to coat the hard surfaces of the city and create soft places for spontaneous social interaction and play. As Bushwaffle spread throughout the shopping district, accidental participants were invited to join the mob and test Bushwaffle for themselves. While they might have had no reason to talk to strangers otherwise, Bushwaffle now provided a playful pretext for exchange.
Bushwaffle make their appearance in San Francisco as part of YBCA’s Gatherers exhibition. On 1/7/09 people will have another chance to encounter, test and play with Bushwaffle on the streets of San Francisco. Rebar will lead an interactive event, starting at YBCA, and continuing into the streets. When and Where: Event begins at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Grand Lobby, 12:00pm Wednesday, January 7.
Comments