Environmental artists Luzinterruptus installed a series of street installations across Madrid as a statement against the amount of light pollution produced from the city. "Malas Hierbas Mutantes" (translated to "mutant weeds") are patches of green fluorescent sticks shaped into tufts of grass that span the width of a handful of public spaces.
The sidewalk installations are in direct response to law passed by the Department of the Environment of the City Council of Madrid allowing for neon pharmacy signs to be more powerful than other storefront's signs.
The wattage is so powerful, the group argues it's taking over the city.
So much light emanates from the new crosses that the environment that surrounds each pharmacy, is permanently tinted a deep, vibrant and unnatural green color. Objectively speaking, one could say that the majority of the urban green spaces in our city, are more the result of erroneous illuminated sign rules than the commitment of our institutions to provide the city with places where you can be in contact with nature.
The mutant weeds are a kind of tongue-in-cheek protest -- a forecast of the future where plants grow out of the concrete, fed by the eerie green glow of the pharmacy signs.
Watch below for high-speed video of the installation of "Malas Hierbas Mutantes." Make sure you go over to Luzinterruptus' website to check out images from their project, and more of their environmental art.
Malas hierbas mutantes from luzinterruptus on Vimeo.