While the trades rank who’s who in discovering ways around the norm, Boston takes time to pay homage to pranksters disobeying the status-quo completely.
In true copycat behavior, city artists replicated events that had once shut down the city. An act in remembrance of trouble-making comrades, Sean Stevens and Peter Berdovsky. One year ago, the two twenty-somethings riled up city law enforcement by placing LED light boxes in public arenas. What turned out to be an ad campaign for Aqua Teen Hunger Force was, at first, a bomb scare.
This year, supporters scoured the city for eye-catching spots to position throwback LED panels. Instead of the ATHF ‘moonite’ character, this ’08 edition uses George Bush, Osama Bin Laden, Jesus and others to give life to the irreverent art. Bringing back the homeland security controversy between media shock value and uncouth terrorism.
And the controversy isn’t contained to the States. Czech rabble-rouser, Ztohoven’s, is currently pending trial on ‘attempted scaremongering’ charges. 6 members face up to 3 years in jail and/or a fine for streaming video of a fake nuclear blast on the morning weather channel. Surprisingly, residents didn’t seem to react. Nonetheless, the deed re-evoked the question; is media-manipulation art or tampering?
Katie Sherman is a NY-based freelance writer. After years of multi-tasking at downtown ad agencies, she’s recently returned from a European backpacking sabbatical. During the day she works as a Copywriter in Soho. In the off-hours she concentrates on analyzing social/ cultural trends, business innovation and local entertainment. Her work has been published on PSFK.com, CoolBusinessIdeas.com, EatDrinkSleepny.com, and Glamourite.com. Email her at katie_sherman@hotmail.com