Artist taps old computer parts for techie cityscapes

Old motherboards get a new lease on life in the hands of one Italian artist who makes art out of old computer parts.

A circuit-sized view of Central Park in New York.

For some people, old circuit boards and computer components needlessly fill up space, awaiting a proper sendoff to the electronics recycling facility. Italian artist Franco Recchia sees opportunity in those old parts, though, and instead creates fascinating miniature city skylines with the pieces of forgotten technology

The artist covers an array of major cities, including New York, Chicago, Detroit, and more. In an interview with the Agora art gallery, Recchia reveals that he often finds parts in "trash heaps" and that it takes four different styles of welding to make the techno cities.

Recchia created this unique vision of Manhattan out of frames used in computer cases.

"Recchia seeks in his sculptures to bring dignity to the process of modern creation, to highlight how every product produced by human hands contains talent, imagination and great beauty, and ultimately stems from the vast reservoir of human experience of which we are all a part," says a statement from the Agora gallery. "His sculptures are indeed a testament to what is beautiful, elegant, and functional in the modern object, and are a tribute to the aptitude and passion that are our inheritance."

                                                          Franco Recchia, Boston

Franco Recchia, Metropolis

Parking canopy made from 1,500 recycled plastic bottles

With gyres of it swirling in our oceans, to landfills packed to overflowing with it, plastics are a true, non-biodegradable modern day bane. To tackle this pervasive problem, we've found various ways to recycle, upcycle and transform plastics into clothing, architecture and art, often with surprising results. Using 1,500 recycled bottles, this new parking canopy in Lincoln, Nebraska, shows that old plastic bottles can still impart a fresh aesthetic.

Created by American artist Garth Britzman, in collaboration with University of Nebraska students, this piece, titled (POP)culture, took 200 hours to make and features a bit of coloured liquid within each bottle, adding some vibrancy to the transparent plastic.

Britzman explains: This temporary installation used recycled soda bottles as a canopy under which a small park is created. An intriguing environment is created where one can explore the surface qualities of the bottles at eye level. Additionally, this project sought to stimulate creative alternatives for recycling and reusing materials.

Bright and quirky, this project demonstrates that a simple (and problematic) material can easily be transformed into something quite striking. More over at Garth Britzman's site.

Natural wonders - Turda Salt Mine Romania

Turda Salt Mine, aside from its gigantic size, is fairly straight forward in its history. Explosives were never used to hollow the mine, and it was all done by hand or machine, making its size more impressive. One of the many halls of the mine measures a massive 260 by 130 feet with 160-foot ceilings.

After being abandoned in 1932, the mine reopened for tourists in 1992. Thanks to a $6 million renovation, the Salt Mine is now a large tourist draw for halotherapy, a treatment for allergies and asthma that uses the ionized air, pressure and humidity of the caves. The effects of salt caves were first discovered during a study of miners with improved breathing ability in the Wieliczka Salt Mine.

Along with the spa attraction inside the caves, some of the old mining equipment has been converted to lead visitors through on tours. One of the most prominent features is a panoramic wheel that lets tourists see the stalagmites that have formed over the caves 1000-year history. A small lake in the mine also offers the opportunity to paddle around the highly textured salt caves.

As the cave has grown in popularity over the last 20 years, it has attracted a number of high-profile visitors. Rumors have even circulated over the last few months that the new Christopher Nolan-directed Batman film will be shot heavily in the mine, with Turda acting as the new Batcave. On opening night, moviegoers should look for Turda Salt Mines characteristic old mining equipment and damp, cavernous surroundings.