Clinton Hill/ Fort Greene

Once in a lifetime: Spell new David Byrne bike racks at BAM

Functional art doesn't have to come with phrasing that makes sense
Functional art doesn’t have to come with phrasing that makes sense. Via BAM

Can you spell something more intriguing than “Micro Lip” or “Pink Crown,” if you’re only given 19 letters? After seeing how much people loved them, BAM is rolling out two more David Byrne-designed bike racks, and they can be based on an eight letter phrase that you come up with.

David Byrne’s BAM bike racks are a combination of things that Brooklyn loves: nonsensical public art, the Brooklyn Academy of Music and bikes. And since bike parking is at a premium, it’s time for them to drop a couple more down. But instead of just handing things over to a white-suited madman, BAM has decided to let the public try their hand at bike rack design.

Using Byrne’s bike rack alphabet, which only has 19 characters, you’re invited to come up with an eight letter phrase like say, “MoP RicK,” and submit it here. BAM will then pick their five favorites and present them for a public vote on May 17, with the two most popular designs winning. Aside from winning the privilege of locking your bike to the new rack and dragging a bored date to BAM, pointing at the racks and saying, “That was my idea,” you also win a copy of Byrne’s The Bicycle Diaries. Just don’t read it while you ride, that’s dangerous.

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