Lights on Tampa Etch a Sketch

It appears that this year’s Lights On Tampa new work will be primarily Pablo Valbuena’s delicate and transformative etch a sketch-like N27°57’00” W82°27’41” and projects by Juliet Davis & Stephanie Tripp, Eva Lee, and Molly Schwartz to be displayed on a permanent installation called The Portal, which looks from renderings like it may be in danger of being a better idea than actualized project.

Rendering of The Portal, Tampa, FL

Nevertheless, I can appreciate the attempt – and I’m sure the experience will be impressive – in light of this comment from Tampa’s Daily Loaf.

“In its first year, Lights on Tampa was a revelation: Look! Lots of people! Downtown! On a Saturday night! Now that there’s actually a little life in the district’s nightlife, think of this year’s LOT as a party to celebrate a downtown that has, at last, a lot to look at.”

This is my oft-quoted  “network takes over” effect in panel six of Archigram’s Instant City.

Archigram, Instant City, installation view "Edge Conditions," 2006 01SJ Biennial