Mobstr Displays Unusual Agility in His Public Art Practice

Mobstr just sent over these new images and a video which can be viewed below. Mobstr's work has always delighted me because he often uses billboards as his preferred outdoor canvas. I get a special kick out of seeing work which happens over outdoor advertising regardless of the content. But Mobstr's projects are not all ad takeovers and ultimately his work is not about advertisings monopoly of public space. It seems more about the simple act of using public space to create endless opportunities for communication and engagement. Visual puns like this Apathy piece above, require the viewer to get the punchline in order to be complete, they are participatory. In fact many of Mobstr's projects involve other civic actors that help him turn public space into a bit of theatre, and we delight in its playfulness. The politics of public space usage that lies behind all of the fun in Mobstr's work is there, but bundled in a much more pleasant package. It's agile work that at its heart opens up dialogues about how we should use public space, converses with the current participants, and gives the public front row access to the show. Enjoy!