On my way to run some errands the other day I drove down a road that had obviously been driven on while the striping had still been fresh because the white on one side suddenly started weaving all over the road. It was interesting because one, I continuously like to think about tracing pathways and two, it fascinated me to think of who it was that drove over the fresh paint and why they couldn’t seem to keep a straight line. A getaway vehical perhaps?

It reminded me of a recent post earlier this month from Abitare regarding some bikers who decided to throw a several gallons of colorful paint at the entrances to the intersection at the busy Rosenthaler Platz in Berlin. The cars then would drive through these massive puddles of color and make lines with their tires through the intersection that would trace their movement as they went on their way. While this doesn’t trace the total movement of cars, it makes for a pretty intersection piece at least that helps to gain a feel for the specific traffic intersections and flow.

This reminds me of a previous post on active paths and desire lines which referenced a little invention for the bicycle called the Contrail. The idea behind this invention is to have a device that stays with the bike to map out it’s path in real time versus being place specific and requiring the user to pass through. Instead the Contrail helps to map the path instead of the space.

What I think would be really interesting is to map out vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian in a manner like the Contrail in a way that could be stored as data but seen visually, even if only online, to help understand how the different modes interact, where problem areas are and where it looks and feels as though the three work together harmoniously. That and it would be really nifty to look at.

images via Abitare

Just as I believe there is essentially a soundtrack for everything, each day has its own unique sound as well. I believe the world moves to the sound of music…or is it, the sound of music moves the world? Designer Craig Colorusso agrees and attempts to create a soundscape that moves with the elements of the day, powered entirely by the sun. This installation piece is titled Sun Boxes and a video of the piece in action as well as a description from the artist is below.

“Sun Boxes are an environment to enter and exit. It’s comprised of twenty speakers operating independently each powered by solar panels. There is a different guitar sample in each box all playing together making the composition. The guitar samples are all of different lengths so the whole piece keeps evolving.”

“There are no batteries involved. The Sun Boxes are reliant on the sun. When the sun sets the music stops. The piece changes as the length of the day changes. Making the participants aware of the cycle of the day.”