Pigs may soon fly in Chicago. That's if a massive piece of installation art gets approval to take off. The idea was inspired by the album Animals by Pink Floyd, which itself was influenced by George Orwell's "Animal Farm," political fable critical of inequitable social structures like class.
listen to the interview with Jeffrey Roberts
President Donald Trump's Chicago tower is highly visible, as is the "TRUMP" branding that adorns it. It's located on the Chicago River at 401 N. Wabash Street. Jeffrey Roberts is a Principal of Chicago based New World Design Ltd.He says designers across the city were critical when the huge Trump logo went up. After the election, serious thought went into how to address what many see as a blight on the cityscape. "It's that name that is so present on a very large scale in that prominent part of the city - it's just inappropriate," says Roberts.
Roberts says he and colleagues don't see themselves as activists, and most of them identify as independent voters. But he says together, they "saw this as almost a job we had, and we saw this as a solution that would block the sign, temporarily, and would have representative, artistic meaning to it." The firm aims to raise $250,000 via a crowd funding site. They are also raising funds through their website, and say any excess funds will go to charities like the American Civil Liberties Union. Talks are ongoing with the city for approval and sorting out issues like security. The plan is for the pigs to fly one day this summer.
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