Cycling Visionaries Awards - Project Details

Bicycle Lantern Parade

The aim of the project is to organize Bicycle Lantern Parades, for which the bicycles will be equipped with an electronic device that generates different light patterns. In this way, the bicyclists can: raise its voice in public; present the bicycle as part of the city’s collective identity; improve their collective self-esteem; and spread the love for the bicycles!

What is a Lantern Parade?
It is basically a collective ride in which the bicycles are decorated with lights. (Similar to Critical Mass)

What is so special about these Parades?
For the Parades I designed a lighting device which can generate color patterns in the wheels.

What do those Lighting devices?
The devices have a row of lights (LED) that blink and change their color. As a result, when the wheels turn they will generate different patterns. Moreover they can coordinate the patterns among the bicycles through radio signals.

Description
Although in recent years the bicycle has gained importance a means of transport in many cities around the world, the bicyclists still need to overcome many obstacles to claim their right to the city. A key issue for the bicycle collective is the creation of secure and comfortable paths in the city. To achieve this, the bicyclists have historically participated in the local politics in different ways. On the one hand, the advocacy groups exercise pressure at the administrative instances of the local government. On the other hand, a series of manifestations or parades, are organized in the public space to gain the favor of the public opinion.

While the pressure at the administrative instances is a very important step in the reallocation of the public space, such efforts should also have the approval of the public opinion. Therefore, it is important for the bicycle collective to raise its voice in public, and thus legitimate its position regarding the public space.

To support such efforts, I propose to organize three Bicycle Lantern Parades, in which 100 cyclists -whose bicycles will be equipped with a lighting device- will ride together through the city. As the wheels turn, the devices will generate patterns and coordinate them through a wireless network. The results of such collaboration are riding choreographies, which will serve as a symbol of the bicycle collective in the city.

The bicycle Lantern Parades, should strengthen the image of the bicycle collective, bolster the collective self-esteem and contribute to the construction of identity and consensus.

Collaborative Creation
Evidently, this project diverges from the traditional paradigm of individual creation and the active participation of the bicycle collective is essential for its realization.

The “lighting device” is actually a model for the collaborative creation of cultural products that enables the establishment of a partnership between the cultural producers and the bicycle collective, incorporating this last not only into the production of cultural goods, but also into its financial and legal development.

Partners
The project cannot be completed without establishing a partnership with the local bicyclists. This partnership goes far beyond the Lantern Parades and incorporates the bicyclists as legal and financial partners. Thus, the active participation of the local bicycle collective is expected in all the phases of the project.

Legal Form
As the lighting device is a basically tool that enables bicyclists to collectively create cultural products, they will be legally recognized a co-author of such. Therefore the intellectual property of those cultural products will be shared with the bicycle collective under a suitable legal form (for instance: U.S. Non-profit; Europe: “Verein”). The exact legal person will be discussed with the partners.

Phases

1. Production
1. Order of electronic components
2. Production of the PCB (Printed Circuit Board)
3. Automated assembly

2. Promotion
1. Socialization and promotion
2. Coordination, selection of routes
3. Distribution of the devices

3. Realization
1. Videographic documentation of the parades
2. Photographic record of the parades

4. Postproduction
1. Video edition
2. Photo adjusments
3. Publication