Over night, what used to be public drinking fountains throughout the city of Madrid were evolved into unsuspecting pieces of art. In response to the growing disappearance of these beneficial fountains and to highlight the global necessity of water, anonymous art collective Luzinterruptus revitalized the fountains with the help of LED lights. Water was nowhere to be found—instead the accumulation of glass vitamin bottles.

Agua Que Has de Beber (2012)

Agua Que Has de Beber (2012)

Taking a new approach to raising awareness, Luzinterruptus creates lit up art installations with a touch of humor to emphasize overseen issues in communities and world-wide problems. This form of street art has been flourishing around the globe and since 2008 the streets of Madrid have been receiving a few more attentive looks thanks to the collective.

Most recently, Luzinterruptus was invited to Switzerland’s Gewerbemuseum Winterthur to host its installation, Basura Plástica Custodiando Museo/ Plastic Garbage Guarding the Museum. After sorting through donated plastic bags and choosing the most colorful ones, the bags were filled with air to light up the night until they once again represented piles of trash.

Basura Plástica Custodiando Museo (2012)

Basura Plástica Custodiando Museo (2012)

Choosing the street as its canvas, Luzinterruptus not only creates art for everyone to see but also attracts attention people can understand. Whether it’s calling out its views on extra police presence by placing sirens on cars or creating mutant grass with fluorescent lights to highlight overbearing pharmaceutical light signs, what the collective has achieved is not only meaningful but also an innovative approach we can appreciate.

Tanta Policía, Para tan Poca Gente (2009)

Hierbas de Botica (2012)

– Juan Frausto

(Photo credit: Gustavo Sanabria)