How to identify street installations

Lennie: Hi, I’m Lennie Lee, and this is my friend Christianne Klein. And today, we’re here to help you learn how to distinguish street installations from other types of objects.

Christianne: That’s right, Lennie. Street installations can be a wonderful form of artistic expression. But at the same time, people occasionally mistake them for bombs. For example, last week in Sweden, Conny Blom placed fifteen items around the city of Örebro, Sweden. Each had a clock and wires. But instead of sticks of dynamite, they had bundles of carrots tied together.

Lennie: Carrots?

Christianne: Yes, carrots.

Lennie: Really?

Christianne: That’s right.

Lennie: Let me guess: People thought they were real bombs.

Christianne: Of course they did.

Lennie: Why did they think that?

Christianne: Because we hadn’t yet made this video, Lennie.

Lennie: Oh, of course. So let’s get right to it. Christianne, you’ve got a couple of things there that are not bombs, right?

Christianne: That’s right, Lennie. This is a reproduction of one of Conny Blom’s fake bombs. The first thing you should note is the clock and the wires. Real bombs never have this.

Lennie: Exactly, Christianne. In fact, that looks like something out of The Pink Panther.

Christianne: Ha ha! It sure does, Lennie!

Lennie: Bomb makers would never make something that looks like this. Quite the opposite. If you see something that looks this cartoonish, it’s probably just as fake as a cartoon.

Christianne: That’s right, Lennie. Let’s move on to the next item we have here. Do you recognise this?

Lennie: That looks like an illuminated picture of an alien giving everyone the finger.

Christianne: Okay. Would you like to know what it really is?

Lennie: What is it really?

Christianne: It’s an illuminated picture of an alien giving everyone the finger.

Lennie: Really?

Christianne: That’s right. Obviously you read the script before we started, Lennie.

Lennie: Ha ha! Too right, Christianne!

Christianne: Ha ha! Anyway, this was a major event in Boston two years ago. Many signs just like this one were placed in several large cities around the US. They were intended as ads for a film based on the late night animated series Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

Lennie: I like Meatwad.

Christianne: You are a meatwad, Lennie.

Lennie: You bet I am, Christianne!

Christanne: Hey! Careful with that! We don’t want this video to be rated R!

Lennie: Ha ha! We sure don’t!

Christianne: Ha ha! But let’s get back to these items. They were placed in several US cities, and for two weeks, nobody had any complaints about them. Then all of a sudden, the Boston police were called in to examine one of them in that city. One thing led to another, and before we knew it, the cops were telling everyone that there were improvised explosive devices in the city.

Lennie: And it caused a great deal of disruption, didn’t it?

Christianne: It sure did, Lennie. Streets were closed, and even rivers. The Coast Guard closed down a portion of the Charles River whilst the police were inspecting one of them.

Lennie: So how could all this have been avoided?

Christianne: Well, that’s where you can help, Lennie.

Lennie: What, me?

Christianne: Yes. You’re not as socially maladjusted as the typical modern artist, you know.

Lennie: Hey, I’m a conceptual artist!

Christianne: Oh. Then you should be even more socially maladjusted.

Lennie: Christianne!

Christianne: I’m teasing, Lennie. Seriously, though, you know a little bit about these items. What should people look for?

Lennie: Well, the first thing you should be looking for is lights. Here you have a light pattern that makes a clear image of a Mooninite from ATHF. So that’s probably not a bomb. Bomb makers would not bother making their bombs look pretty.

Christianne: Actually, that’s a good idea. They could add some lights to serve as a decoy.

Lennie: Shhh! Christianne, don’t give them ideas!

Christianne: Oh, shut up. Like bomb makers have never come up with that idea themselves. They have, in fact, but most of them don’t bother making their creations look like art. Why should they, when it’s just going to explode?

Lennie: And that is the fundamental difference between street installation and bombs, Christianne. Street installations are designed to last, not to explode. So if you see anything visually striking about it, like carrots where there should be dynamite, or a Lite Brite-style image of a cartoon character, you should relax and just enjoy the artwork that you’ve found.

Christianne: That’s right, Lennie. Street installations are another form of public artwork, like graffiti. The difference is that street installations normally don’t cause damage to whatever it is they’re attached to. They’re usually easy to remove.

Lennie: Right. And I believe you’ve got another example of a street installation down the street here, don’t you, Christianne?

Christianne: I sure do, Lennie. Let me show you this yarn bomb.

Lennie: Yarn bomb? Oh no! We’re all gonna die! Or at least get covered in yarn.

Christianne: Ha ha! You’re such a kidder, Lennie!

Lennie: Ha ha! All kidding aside, though, Christianne, this is really an interesting piece of art.

Christianne: Well, thank you, Lennie. I made it myself.

Lennie: You did? Really?

Christianne: I sure did. With a little help from Mrs Leveshim down the street, but yes, this is an authentic Christianne Klein piece.

Lennie: Wonderful. How much do you think that will go for on E-bay?

Christianne: The reserve price for most of my pieces is twenty dollars.

Lennie: Well, that’s terrific. Perhaps we can include one of your pieces with a special edition of this video.

Christianne: That sounds great. Not that I’m having difficulty in my television news career, mind you.

Lennie: You seem to be doing fine from the pieces I’ve seen.

Christianne: Thank you, Lennie. And from the pieces I’ve seen, your art seems to go right over my head.

Lennie: Ha ha ha! You’ve got quite a sense of humour yourself, Christianne!

Christianne: Well, Lennie, before you flatter me to death, let’s have a closer look at this yarn bomb. This is basically a sleeve for a tree trunk. It’s knitted in just the same way you would knit a sleeve, except that you wouldn’t knit the sleeve right around a person’s arm. However, since this sleeve wouldn’t fit over the tree, that was the only way to make this piece.

Lennie: I really like the patterns. The blue and green really makes it look great.

Christianne: Thank you, Lennie. That means a lot coming from you.

Lennie: Perhaps you can help me with my next project.

Christianne: Really? What’s your next project?

Lennie: Well, I don’t want to give too much away, but it will involve sweaters, messages, and Rush Limbaugh.

Christianne: Uh oh.

Lennie: What? Are you backing out already?

Christianne: Well, Lennie, I have to. I must maintain my objectivity as a journalist, and I can’t do that if I was to make a sweater with a message about Rush Limbaugh.

Lennie: I think you’re misunderstanding my plan.

Christianne: What is your plan, then?

Lennie: I think I’ll just let you find out. How’s that?

Christianne: Okay, but can I get an exclusive with you after it’s done?

Lennie: Sure.

Christianne: Great. I look forward to it. Thank you for joining me today, Lennie.

Lennie: A pleasure, Christianne. Thank you for your help.

Christianne: Thank you. And thank you for watching. On behalf of Lennie Lee, and all of us, this is Christianne Klein, reminding you to enjoy art responsibly.