Sarah Cascone
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Two Swiss artists have taken that classic summer pastime, the picnic, to the next level with a giant art installation: the Bignik, 160,000 feet (or approximately 30 miles) of outdoor picnic goodness.
As reported by Junk Culture, twin brothers Frank and Patrik Riklin created the massive work from an assemblage of thousands of red and white recycled towels, blankets, curtains, and other household fabrics donated by the local community. Each piece is cut to a uniform square size, and sewn together into units of four. Those modules are then attached to one another with velcro.
“Art has to have a clear function”, Patrik says on their studio website. “It should be experienced amidst life and not be confined to art galleries and museums!,” added Frank. Appropriately, the event, hosted in the verdant hills of Stein, Switzerland, on what appears to be a gorgeous, sunny day, drew 1,500 visitors.
The Riklins clearly dream big when it comes to summer relaxation. This is their second iteration of Bignik, and the duo hopes to make the installation even bigger in years to come. By 2040, their goal is to cover an area equal to 100 football fields! By comparison, this year’s effort is a mere four percent of their full vision.
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