It’s all fun and games until…wait, it’s always fun and games! Especially when you’re an ‘urban hacktivist’ in the big city, like Florian Rivière. Taking cues from the hackers of the tech world, Rivière reprograms public spaces by playing with the material language of the city. He uses patently DIY tactics to alter existing symbols and structures, building and staging cheeky interventions that subvert the norm with bursts of spontaneity and humor. More after the jump.

With Rivière’s urban hacks, the city suddenly becomes your best pal, teasing you with an impromptu game of soccer and turning public benches into indulgently personal recliners. Why not crack open a cold one at the nearest automatic meter-maid or shoot some hoops by the ‘no parking’ sign? Or perhaps you’d like to make a public announcement through a traffic cone, or take a refreshing dive off of an ironing board? The city might just be the best plaything one could ever want.

[All images courtesy the Florian Rivière]

by Kelly Chan

posted in New Projects

tagged cities, city, DIY, Florian Rivière, Hacking, urban hacktivist, urbanism

more articles by Kelly Chan