Lighting up streets and sidewalks of Rio de Janeiro, these mobile animation units utilize the movement of tricycles and available city surfaces to create amazing and interactive works of art.
The so-called Suaveciclos were designed by artists Ygor Marotta and Ceci Soloaga of VJ Suave from São Paulo, combining batteries, laptops, projectors and speakers to create a multimedia experience.
While some of the works are projected up high, those aimed at human-accessible surfaces (roads, sidewalks or low walls) are remarkably engaging, sparking children to start playing with the live projections.
The versatility of these stop-and-go projection systems (tweakable to context) make it easy for the artists to react to crowds, stopping where popular or pressing on when their work at one site has run its course. They have pedaled their act in cities in Russia, Luxembourg, Slovakia Germany and Switzerland as well.
From the artists: “small narratives with characters and poetry can travel open spaces, lighting walls on a large scale. The projections illuminate walls, trees, lakes, sidewalks and propose a playful interactivity with the public. With the video manipulated in real time, Suaveciclos bring art to all audiences and create unique moments between the city and the viewer.
In their playful universe, vjsuave deals with current themes with ambient sound accompanying the performance” (h/t Colossal and Prosthetic Knowledge).
