LS EX #8 Putting them out in the wild

I put up the posters in areas close to my home, places I walk by often and that are pretty central. The idea was to stay in proximity so I could later observe reactions, but also to choose spots where I knew the posters wouldn’t be removed immediately. Somewhere visible, but stable and often next to other posters.

The actual act of putting them up felt surprisingly awkward. It was just me, the posters, and a roll of tape. Even though it was legal and harmless, I felt hyper-aware of being watched. I caught myself thinking: What if someone asks me what I’m doing? What if they think the posters are badly designed or too shallow? What if they just don’t take it seriously? Or if I even like my own project? If it is worth to be put up in the streets
That inner voice was unexpected. I believe in the project, but standing there with tape in my hand made me suddenly doubt everything.

Reactions in the moment were minimal. No direct confrontations or dramatic responses. Still, there were subtle moments of people slowing down a little, looking for a second longer than usual. One or two seemed to take in the message, even if briefly. Of course, part of me was hoping for a stronger reaction. Maybe someone engaging with it critically, or even aggressively. something that I could point to as “impact.” But that’s rarely how it goes.

Looking back, I think the strength of these posters might lie in exactly that random space inbetween: creating small interruptions. A moment of irritation. A tiny nudge. Not a confrontation, but a small question to ask oneself; just enough to make someone think about it, even if only for a second and maybe that’s enough for now.

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