Urban Prankster » Alex Scordelis

Meaningless Plaques

Alex Scordelis — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:42:30 +0000

Since 1886, various organizations (currently English Heritage) have placed circular, blue plaques around London to commemorate where important events have taken place or where prominent people have lived. The Dirty Square Gallery in London has decided to spoof the English’s quest to honor themselves by placing meaningless blue plaques around London.

Reminds us of An Ordinary Building.

via Vandalog

Old Lady Neighborhood Watch

Alex Scordelis — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:42:29 +0000

On a recent trip to Portugal, we noticed a massive number of senior citizens looking out of windows from morning till night. A common sight throughout Europe, these old-timers are usually on the lookout to report any suspicious behavior in their neighborhood.

Because of this trend, we are extremely amused by “The Senoritas of Lisboa,” a project by CC, a Portuguese art collective. This group has gone around Lisbon and placed signs parodying the Securitas (a Swedish security firm) logo underneath old ladies who seem to be permanently perched at their windows.

via Vandalog

Subway Shark

Alex Scordelis — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:46:17 +0000

It’s not safe to go in the water…or the Metro! Kapo, a Spanish street artist, created this shark coming out of what appears to be a subway ventilation shaft. Note the detail of the water splashing around the shark to give the mural a terrifying 3D effect.

via Inspire me, now!

Re-branding McDonald’s

Alex Scordelis — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:49:58 +0000

The Billboard Liberation Front have announced “a new advertising improvement campaign” targeting McDonald’s billboards. They’re calling the re-branding effort “I’m Sick Of It.” The first hacked billboard appeared at the corner of California and Hyde in San Francisco.

Looks like they are doing work for Phillip Morris as well:

via Laughing Squid

Madrid Street Advertising Takeover

Terrestrial Shrub Rover

Alex Scordelis — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:38:30 +0000

Although it was created as an art project, Justin Shull’s hilarious Terrestrial Shrub Rover has unlimited pranking potential. Shull, a Houston, Texas-based artist, was inspired to create the mobile hedge thanks in part to future space travel. Shull writes on his website:

In the spirit of NASA and its forthcoming 2020 lunar expeditions in preparation for colonizing the moon, the Terrestrial Shrub Rover presents the opportunity to explore terrestrial and social environments back on Earth from within a manned, foliage bedecked, solar electric powered rover.

Whatever the inspiration, we hope that Shull will come around to use the Terrestrial Shrub Rover for pranking purposes in the near future. With his high-tech shrub-on-wheels, Shull could put pranksters like San Francisco’s “World Famous Bushman” to shame.

Parisian Swing Sets

Alex Scordelis — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:50:12 +0000

French artist Jerome G. Demuth is turning the streets of Paris into a playground by installing swings around town. Demuth (who also goes by simply “G”) calls the installation, Swing the City.

Paris’s SwinGs from Jerome G. Demuth on Vimeo.

via Wooster Collective

Surprise Surveillance Theatre

Miranda July’s Eleven Heavy Things

Alex Scordelis — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:04:55 +0000

Miranda July, the performance artist/writer/actress/director best known for her film, Me and You and Everyone We Know, has installed her public art piece Eleven Heavy Things in New York’s Union Square Park. The sculptures, which debuted at the 2009 Venice Biennale, are designed to create photo-ops for passersby who choose to interact with the art.

Rush Hour Puppet Show

Alex Scordelis — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:04:54 +0000

Joel Kyack, a Los Angeles based artist, is using puppetry to help rush hour commuters stave off boredom. Kyack’s new project, Superclogger, presents puppet shows out of the back of a pick-up truck to drivers stuck in traffic jams. A soundtrack to the puppet show will be broadcast to the viewer’s car stereo. If you live in the Los Angeles area, check Superclogger’s twitter site which gives daily updates on the mobile puppet show’s location.

Surprise Surveillance Theatre

Shark Toss

Alex Scordelis — Mon, 17 May 2010 12:39:34 +0000

Most hockey fans are familiar with a bizarre Detroit Red Wings tradition where fans of the team hurl octopus onto the ice after the Wings score a goal (usually in playoff games). This practice dates back to 1952, when a fan chucked a octopus in the rink to symbolize the 8 playoff wins it took to win the Stanley Cup (it now takes 16).

Fast-forward to Game 2 of the San Jose Sharks vs. Detroit Red Wings 2010 playoff series. As a response to the long-standing Red Wings tradition, one dedicated San Jose fan tossed a 3-foot leopard shark with an octopus sewn into its mouth on the ice after the Sharks scored a 1st period goal. The most impressive part of the stunt is that the fish tosser smuggled the shark into the game by duct taping it to his leg. Very gross, but pretty funny.

Kenny Strasser, Yo-Yo Master

Alex Scordelis — Tue, 11 May 2010 11:55:36 +0000

Kenny “K-Strass” Strasser, a self-proclaimed “Yo-Yo Master,” has been showcasing his skills on morning shows across the midwest. The only problem is that he’s terrible at yo-yo tricks. This yo-yo hoaxster has proved once again that there’s a pretty flimsy screening process for morning talk show guests.

via deadspin.