Public Art in the Digital Age: From Blinkenlights to Times Square

The article explores the intersection of public art and digital technology, referencing George Kubler's notion that tools are communication instruments. It highlights Blinkenlights, a 2001 project by the Chaos Computer Club that transformed Berlin's Haus des Lehrers facade into an interactive screen via hacked lamps, allowing passersby to play Pong or send messages via mobile phones. More recently, in February 2017, Public Art Fund's 40th anniversary initiative 'Commercial Break' in New York City placed contemporary video art on LED walls and LCD screens typically used for ads, featuring 23 artists including Cory Arcangel, Cécile B. Evans, and David Horvitz. This echoes Public Art Fund's earlier 'Messages to the Public' series (1982–1990) on Times Square's Spectacolor, which featured Keith Haring, Jenny Holzer, Vito Acconci, and Barbara Kruger. Since 2012, Times Square Arts has run 'Midnight Moment,' monthly three-minute video displays at midnight by artists like Robert Wilson, Pipilotti Rist, Ryoji Ikeda, and Laurie Anderson. The article argues that such projects reclaim public space for contemplative observation, countering the dominance of personal screens.