An incredible study of space, perception and concept, this touching instillation was realised by the Luzinterruptus street art team, in Caracas, Venezuela, as part of an annual urban art festival. This creatively ambitious and inspiring project, called Portable River, consisted of 2,000 transparent bags that were each filled with both water and life. Each bag acted as a small aquarium housing fish and plants, alongside tiny lights (fish and plants were plastic representations, just to make sure no-one was hurt).
The idea behind the project is simple yet breathtaking. The streets whereby the installation took place are prone to overflowing with water when rainy weather sets in, usually driving passers by indoors. What the artists wanted to achieve was to bring the element of water to the streets, in conditions different to that of the norm, such that the element of water could be viewed and interacted with in a completely new and original way. In the words of the artists, "We wanted to stop it (the water) for one night so that people could sit down and admire its beauty and, perhaps, think about the value of this element, essential to life and the challenge presented in bringing it closer to the citizens, especially in the big cities."
At the close of the night the visitors were invited to take the small bags, encouraging the river concept to overflow beyond that of just the street but into the different alleys, avenues and homes across the city. I love this concept because it invites people to interact, come together, laugh, and at the end reflect on a real & relevant message... all while changing what we know to be a rather mundane, everyday setting, the local street, into a vibrant and lively theatre where visitors are invited to inhabit and liven up the space as never before.
