Say what you want about the city’s three-year-old LinkNYC Wi-Fi program, but one thing is for sure: Those kiosks have gotten a lot better looking lately.
That’s largely because of the #ArtOnLink program.
While the 1,770 hotspot monoliths are all about closing the digital divide in New York (and, let’s face it, also about displaying ads), they’re now also about connecting communities with art.
In short, LinkNYC has become a platform for local creators to showcase their unique work celebrating life in the city, or as a press release for the program puts it, “inserting bursts of art into our daily lives on the go.”
As a result, through the #ArtOnLink program, a rotation of local art is being displayed on LinkNYC’s 55-inch displays, “creating a new digital canvas throughout the five boroughs.” The work shown on the street structures ranges from architectural illustrations to augmented reality to “humorous how-tos.” But all of the work is supposed to “tie back to what makes New York, New York.”
This paper’s Bob Krasner had some of his stunning art photos in rotation on LinkNYC last week while other shots by the East Villager lensman are showing on the kiosks this week. Some examples are shown on this page.
The Link networks in Philadelphia and Newark have also run art.
Lincoln Anderson
