Anna Pedersen

Disruptive nightlights

A fluorescent stand against public urination

Putting a rather lustrous spotlight on a seemingly unnoticed problem in Madrid, Luzinterruptus took it upon themselves to draw attention to some people's use of the public spaces as personal lavatories.

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Urinarios públicos para emergencias nocturnas - "Public urinals for night-time emergencies" by Luzinterruptus Luzinterruptus, Gustavo Sanabria

Luzinterruptus is an anonymous artistic duo, who carries out urban interventions in the public areas of Madrid. They work primarily in light, using materials like submersible LED-lights to attract the public's attention to seemingly unnoticed attractions or problems. Most of their work is a reprimand or a reminder to the public, like reiterating the need for people to pick up after their dogs by placing lit-up poop bags around the grassy areas of the city. Their 2009-piece ¨Urinarios públicos para emergencias nocturnas¨(or ¨Public toilets¨). was a protest of public urination.

In the wee small hours of the morning on July 28th, the duo took to the streets, putting up 80 hospital type-urine containers filled with yellow water and submersible lights. By following the trail of stink, the two artists found the most popular pee-spots around the San Ildefonso square in Madrid and ordained them with the luminous urine containers, thus making it significantly less private and also highlighting the men going there to pee.

Being mobile street art, Luzinterruptus' pieces are rarely up for very long, as the installations are often removed by either municipalities or members of the public. ¨Urinarios públicos para emergencias nocturnas¨ took four hours to put up and remained up for four-eight hours.