Original article, “Bus stops that became homes overnight,” by Anna Edwards appeared August 24, 2011 in the UK’s Daily Mail
Not all protest is about marching or boycotting, there is also protest through art.
Some protesters vent their fury with angry banners, others boycott, while some create petitions.But two artists came up with a far more creative – and eye-catching – way to make their feelings known about bank bosses.They transformed bus stops into miniature houses overnight to highlight how some people may lose their homes to banks involved in the financial crisis.
A fake ‘foreclosure’ sign next to the first stop, on Withington Road, said ‘900 families could have their homes repossessed by the same banks that caused the financial crisis’.
The artwork appeared in the early hours of Tuesday morning – leaving people using the bus stops bemused.
Parminder Sharma, 65, said: ‘I just noticed what they had done when we pulled up in front of it and I thought it looked really unusual. ‘It is a wonderful and eye-catching way of making this point. ‘They are saying it’s banks who have caused this crisis and now are not helping their communities.’
Staff at Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), who are responsible for the stops, were called to take photos while bosses decided what to do. The artwork in Whalley Range has been taken down, while the other remained last night.
Two artists calling themselves Terrorwrist and Isaac Shnewton, who are visiting the city for an art exhibition that starts on Friday, were responsible for the stunt.
Mr Shnewton said: ‘When you see up to 900 ordinary folks losing their homes each week to the same banks that caused the financial crisis with their unsustainable economic attitudes and unrestricted behaviour, it makes you want to do something that will communicate these real crimes to the public.’
TfGM declined to comment.
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