Smökers is a street sculpture project by local artist Mark Reigelman that replaces the traditional orange pipes that funnel street steam up and away with small wooden houses, where the steam looks like a quaint smoking fireplace.
Inspired by Reigelman’s childhood fascination and familiarity with small hand-made German objects (Räuchermann), the project seeks to redress the purpose of steam tubes, and insert the notion of whimsy and imagined narrative to the everyday. Räuchermann, also commonly referred to as ‘smokers’, are simple wooden incense burners, often resembling cabins, animals, and chimney sweeps. The aesthetic of these common German objects references the visuality of the orange and white candy-cane striping of these plastic steam tubes but more importantly, both objects have identical functionality and usage - to channel and release smoke, compounding the nuance of the work.
Check out the project page to learn more about Smökers.
Matt Coneybeare
Editor in Chief
Matt enjoys exploring the City's with his partner and son. He is an avid marathon runner, and spends most of his time eating, running, and working on cool stuff.
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