We’re used to seeing pixelated forms in computer games and in galleries that cater to contemporary art, but spilling from a faucet on a New York street? Well, strangely enough, it’s not completely unheard of. Back in 2008, an 8-bit street art installation called Pixel Pour punctured reality and landed on the sidewalks of New York City, with the help of production company //kneeon, see below.Pixel PourNow, mysteriously, a blockier 3D version has leaked out onto Mercer Street in New York’s SoHo district and is being called Pixel Pour 2.0. Seemingly not content with staying in the virtual world, the pixels have hybridized our reality with that of an 8-bit video game in what could be seen as a physical manifestation of augmented reality. The installation takes something that only exists in the digital realm and makes it tangible. Could it be that Patrick Jean’s celebrated 80s arcade animation Pixels is slowly being realized? What’s next, Donkey Kong on the Empire State Building? Maybe. Still, the question remains, who or what is behind it?Slidehow photos courtesy of gnom3sayin
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New York City Gets Pixelated Again
And this time it isn’t part of an nostalgic 8-bit animation but happening out on the streets. Cause for concern?