old bike reimagined as a water fountain by brad downey

old bike reimagined as a water fountain by brad downey

american street artist brad downey exchanges comic banter with the public in his series of urban interventions, teasing viewers with humorous reinterpretations of water fountains. for his installation ‘fountain’, downey mounted a rusty bike to an old bicycle rack, a seemingly an ordinary item that had been left behind in the park. downey imagined a new purpose for the abandoned bike, transforming the frame into a fully functioning water source. he channeled the water from the adjacent canal, which he siphoned through the vehicle’s frame. the tube funnels the water through the structure where it finally cascades out from a hole in the handlebars.

‘fountian’ will reopen today, august 15th, 2013 in basel, switzerland for skultur II, a public art intervention exhibition.

a dog spends time under the bike fountain

downey’s humorous approach is evident throughout the scope of his projects. for ‘every path has its puddle’, the artist utilized two empty garbage bins, rigged with water tubing beneath. one trash has a mechanism inside which shoots a geyser-like water current into the air, whose course directs it straight into the opening of a nearby dumpster. the comical exchange is in intriguing way to excite the public about urban art. 

the two trash cans exchange water

for ‘domesticated waterfall’, the artist installed a pump through the opening of residential window, surprising passers-by as water burst through the unlikely source.

pedestrians avoid the waterfall cascading from the side of the apartment

a stream floods from the house window

the water pump rigged through a residential apartment

h/t installation magazine