David Byrne Bike Racks

Some of you may have heard of David Byrne in association with Talking Heads, others because of his recent conversion of the Battery Maritime Building, a century-old ferry terminal in Manhattan, into a giant instrument.

Now Wallpaper reports about him getting together with the NYC Department of Transportation. The artist got together with the Department to create overall nine bike racks that are installed in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

"Byrne submitted ideas to the DOT of graphic shapes, inspired by specific locations throughout the city: the Ladies Mile (a high heel), the Villager (a dog), the Wall Street (a dollar sign) and so on.

The functioning racks came about when Byrne was chosen to be on the panel for an open competition held by the DOT for people to design novelty bike racks. Byrne himself sent in his series of drawings as examples and the DOT replied saying they’d happily install them. The designs were realised in the same square-shaped piping that the regular NYC bike racks are made from so people would identify them as bike racks rather than public art.

The racks have become minor landmarks in themselves. Up for just a year, they’re then going to be sold through Pace/MacGill Gallery, who represent Byrne’s artistic endeavours."

On your next NYC trip you might want to consider taking a David Byrne bike rack tour!