We constructed a minimalist snowman from a real carrot and two branches foraged from a recently-trimmed blackthorn hedge. The title ‘Snow Business’ plays on the dual meaning that such a silly, non-commercial gesture has ‘no business’ in a space strictly reserved for advertising, while also declaring our reclamation of this commercial panel for Black Friday as a space of ‘no business.’
Snow Business is a nod to the creative spontaneity of childhood, where a few simple objects could unlock a world of imagination—a form of play that feels increasingly lost in our screen-saturated age. It harkens back to a simpler time when children could more easily gather for activities like building snowmen, in streets less dominated by private cars and corporate advertising. The piece is an invitation to see the urban landscape as a potential playground: a place for wonder, curiosity, and joy.
Finally, the materials themselves make a quiet statement. We all want to see more trees and fewer advertisements in our cities, yet our streets are increasingly filled with the latter. The use of real branches and a humble carrot highlights this jarring contrast, reminding us of the natural world that mass consumerism so often edges out.
Finally, the materials themselves make a quiet statement. We all want to see more trees and fewer advertisements in our cities, yet our streets are increasingly filled with the latter. The use of real branches and a humble carrot highlights this jarring contrast, reminding us of the natural world that mass consumerism so often edges out.
