Recently, an anonymous Madrid-based art collective decided to bring the lure of the library to the streets in a new public project.
Luzinterruptus has a knack for combining ephemeral, almost supernatural installations with a social message, and 'Literature vs. Traffic' is no exception. The team received 100,000 discarded library books, deemed obsolete, from a local Salvation Army in Melbourne. They then used them to create an impromptu illuminated library in Federation Square. The cold, modern architecture was transformed into a surreal liquid library, with strange and forgotten books taking up traffic's sacred space. Lit up by LED lights, the books emitted an otherworldly glow, looking as if dropped en masse by an alien force. The installation, which Luz called an "overflowing river of books" in a press release, conquered the public streets, reiterating the power of the written word.
The art collective let the work grow for an entire month, after which the public was invited to choose their favorite book to take home with them. Books were also passed along to those driving by, who were reportedly puzzled by the mysterious gifts.
Check out photographs from the magical installation below:
