Toilets may not usually be the first things to come to mind when you think of art, but this peculiar installation in South Africa might make you see differently. Conceived by Refunc, the creative reuse team that brought us these amazing illuminated bike bars, TOYLIT consists of a series of glowing blue Porta Potties scattered across Mmabatho Stadium in Mafeking. The toilets were all rental units and to make matters even more interesting, local dancers emerged from each potty at certain intervals, putting on an an eerie and ethereal show.
The installation was part of the Cascoland project, where the goal was to activate an underused stadium. Each rental potty is lit from within by a strong white light, causing it to glow blue against the dark night. During each match break, dancers emerged from each unit along loud pop sounds from the central PA, creating a dazzling display.
The toilets used were all rentals from local vendors and the project was active for only a few weeks. While some materials were purchased, they were all donated to a local organization called Life-line. And if you think about it, the dancers, Rah Hlasane and U-Antics, were also a sustainable element of the installation since, after all, they are reused all the time (their livelihood depends on it!).
What a beautiful piece of art!
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