To Do Post-its in DUMBO by Illegal Art

A common complaint by people I know that don't live in the city is the lack of a sense of community in big cities. The absence of saying hello to people in the street, no borrowing a cup of sugar from your neighbors, the lack of things for their children to do.

My experience of living and working in DUMBO, New York has been entirely different from this supposed view. People say hello on the street, everyone knows their neighbor and luckily for us, the neighborhood remains creative.

One of those artists that keeps the neighborhood creative is Nova Clutch's own Michael, who is also part of the public art collaborative Illegal Art. Illegal Art may be most famed for their book, Suggestion a tireless effort to collect random yet meaningful suggestions from New Yorkers, but their projects continue to grow and evolve.

To Do has culminated in a few installations, namely on the window of The Good People at The Apartment, at Clark University, at the weekend in the East Village at 1st Avenue and 6th Street and today, on Front Street in DUMBO< Brooklyn. Having just stumbled off a plane from Europe, I helped Illegal Art and a number of gratefully received volunteers put up 5376 pink and yellow post its on the window, which was kindly donated by Two Trees Management and the Walentas family.

As is there signature, Illegal Art always seeks to create interactive public art to inspire thought and encourage participation by anyone and everyone. To Do was created so that people could share their own "to do" lists, making something normally very trivial and private very public. As they often do, Illegal Art gives us a chink to look through at the microcosm of someone's personal thoughts, while also maintaining the macrocosm of the impact of the project as a whole.

Comments

[Jacob]

Judging from that shot it must look fantastic by day with the sunlight streaming past and people pausing to gawk and scribble. I rather like the disintegrating pixel grid--that bit of the window just wasn't having any of it though. Can't wait to pass by again and see it alive, clearly folks are enjoying it!

[natasha]

It really does look fantastic by day, and it's amazing how many people are stopping and getting into it. Thanks again for your help last night, it was a pleasure to meet you! Let us know if you're passing by the neighborhood again.

[jess gonacha]

wow, i would love to see this in person. what a cool idea!