Max Pecoraro
BFA Thesis in Visual Arts and the Built Environment

This multimedia urban art installation work began its conceptual grounding as a response to surveillance in the built environment. This is a thesis fabrication which aims to coalesce a number of complexities in the Windsor downtown context into a singular work: the need for security and safety, lack of bike parking in the downtown core, and the ability to exhibit time-based art work. Issues of voyeurism, exhibition and spectacle were developed to create a condition where bike security would be attained by the observation of new art; a form of peer-to-peer lateral surveillance. But beyond this, the voyeuristic element would be attained by passerby, observing people watching art.

This installation was developed by Jason Grossi, from the University of Windsor, and Bill Rawlings, from St. Clair College, with Max Pecoraro as part of his BFA VABE thesis project. The work was funded with a grant by the Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association [DWBIA] who will maintain the installation to promote more works to be developed between various institutions. The opening of the installation continued the collaboration between the University of Windsor and St. Clair College and included a number of works by students of St. Clair college and a new time-based art work conceptual artist, Iain Baxter&.

The multimedia installation is strategically placed along University Avenue, adjacent to St. Clair College, MediaPlex along an approved future bike trail and streetscape improvement zone. The technical design of the installation utilizes a preferred bike locking solution and folds away to free sidewalk space when not in use. The Programmable LED display addresses the DWBIA’s requirement to promote the arts and provide additional bike parking space. 10,080 individual programmable RGB-LEDs provide for local artists/students from both the University of Windsor and St. Clair College, a forum for still and animated text, graphics, images, and video.