Accidental Art: the malfunction

A recent addition to the furniture of the Paris Metro has been the installation of electronic advertising screens. Although they throw light down the gloomy corridors, they also peddle the same asinine messages as the more traditional forms of underground publicity but in a more invasive manner, a fact that initially lead certain Metro users to smash the screens.

However, could electrical glitches provide a more interesting alternative to brute force? In this corner of the subterranean system, a gremlin in the machine has transformed the messages into abstract forms and Mondrianesque coloured grids. A moment of artistic grace before the repairman resumes normal service.

Here the effect seems to be accidental, but will such electronic graffiti be possible in the future? The results would certainly be worth looking out for!