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.

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Architects have long been involved in the burgeoning Do-It-Yourself movement:  tinkering with rapid prototyping machines, developing experimental building materials, and of course, testing the limits of the human brain (via sleep deprivation).

Though it’s often referred to as a ‘subculture,’ the DIY phenomenon can hardly prefixed with sub- anymore. Etsy,  Ikea Hacker, and open-source scripting all illustrate how tinker culture has permeated the design world. On September 25-26, an estimated 45,000 DIY enthusiasts are expected to descend on the New York Hall of Science in Queens for the World Maker Faire, a celebration of innovation and curiosity in design, science, and culture. We can only assume that extra ‘e’ adds a bit of the old school to what could be billed as the world’s most forward-thinking science fair.

Inspired by the culture of the California tech community – where ‘hacking’ is a design process, not a criminal activity – the Maker Faire will feature (among many other things) live robot stand-up, 3D printers, volumetric projection systems, DIY 3D photography workshops, and (drum roll please), a beautiful Coke Zero and Mentos fountain demonstration (pictured below).

You can even enter your own tinkered project as a last minute addition to the Faire. Though the deadline has passed for official submissions, they might still have room for a particularly revelatory design hack! Metropolis has an interview with founder Dale Doherty, and you can check out the Faire’s website here.

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