jim bachor fills chicago's potholes with 'worshiped' COVID-19 essentials

since 2013, artist jim bachor has been beautifying the streets of his native chicago by padding the city’s potholes with colorful glass and marble mosaics. with over 85 pothole art installations around the US and the world, the artist has transformed these street craters into public art, generating a connection with the city, its inhabitants, and a craft tradition that dates back to mesopotamia in the 3rd millennium. after filling potholes with flowers, phone numbers and ice cream images, bachor returns with the holy trinity, a series that tries to humorously point out some of the absurdities the COVID-19 pandemic has brought out in us humans.

images courtesy of jim bachor

in the ancient world, mosaics were used to capture images of everyday life. by setting pieces of glass or marble into mortar, an image was permanently set, ensuring its story would be told through eternity. by using this ancient technique, jim bachor is able to speak of modern things in an ancient voice. ‘these are tough, uncertain times and there’s nothing fun about it,’ says bachor. ‘the virus applies to us all — rich, poor, young, old, etc. it doesn’t matter who you are, you can’t buy your way out of it. I’m a pretty upbeat person but it’s difficult to find humor in these unsettling days.’

located in chicago’s uptown neighborhood, the holy trinity has been installed in a straight path, on the same street — a first for bachor who usually likes to set his pieces separately. the series features the things we have started to worship since the pandemic started: toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and alcoholic beverages. with the new pieces, the artists hopes that perhaps, the images will bring an unexpected grin to the face of unsuspecting viewers during these dark times.

project info:

name: holy trinity

artist: jim bachor

medium: mosaic