For Lease

The words “For Lease” seem to be a permanent fixture in downtowns across the United States- with roughly 60% vacancy in Seattle.

This Seattle Restored activation is made of 162 ft of glass bent over the course of two months. The choice of neon is a repurposing of the discarded tools of commerce. The font is a modernized and adapted Russian constructivist font from the 1930s. It was chosen for its historical roots and challenging simplicity.

Financial capture has pushed life out of spaces that were constructed at the behest of commerce. Life crowds outside. Neon signs are designed to last 20-60 years and the financial capture of these spaces may last as long. The sign has sensors that react to life passing by, dimming where people stand and spelling out words- messages that may go unnoticed.

What can be made from flickers of agency formed by dispossession?