Glassphemy
A new glass-pulverizing installation gets out aggression while recycling at the same time
A colossal container made from bullet-proof glass, Glassphemy withstands some serious blows as people throw bottles from the platform above in an effort to rethink and revive the act of recycling. Created by Macro Sea—the studio that stirred NYC last year with their dumpster swimming pools—the installation serves as both stress reliever and glass recycling center, because “smashing shit is fun.” (See Rafaël Rozendaal’s recent (less eco-minded) version for more insight on the subject.)
Measuring 20 feet high and 30 feet long, people armed with glass bottles collected from local bars stand on one side of the structure, ready to hurl them at the awaiting group, who stand behind bullet-proof glass on the other end.
Each breaking glass activates a lighting system designed by Jason Krugman, and a bike-powered cement mixer polishes the resulting shards or they get ground down into sand, which will eventually find a home in a planned beer garden.
While not open to the public, Macro Sea welcomes ideas on what to do with the broken glass. Together with ReadyMade magazine
they’re holding a contest asking for recycling ideas, making the winning designs from the leftover glass.
Photos by Chris Mottalini
