Window Wanderland

February 25, 2018 8:05 AM

"Window Wanderland transforms everyday streets into magical, outdoor galleries, where you never know what's around the next corner!" A citizen art project turns nighttime windows on streets into luminous windows on worlds.

Started by Lucy Reeves Khan in 2015

“I was stuck in the home for many years because of chronic pain, (pretty grim) and being a stay-at-home-mother (pretty gorgeous). While doing short therapeutic walks around the block, in the Winter darkness to hide my disability, I noticed that if the curtains were open in neighbours houses, I didn’t feel the pain so much. For years I assumed I was just a nosy parker, but I realised that the light and openness made me happier.”

Found via the twitter hashtag #windowwanderland popping up on Scottish twitter due to the gorgeous displays in #strathbungo.

Currently seems to be pretty much UK only, apart from one in Canada and another in Germany (you know what you need to do).

posted by Buntix (5 comments total)

This is fantastic! I would love to do a community art project with my downtown DC neighborhood but have had no idea how to get started. I just signed up for the 2018-2019 season (since they have hit their limit on groups to support for 2017-2018).
posted by marguerite at 9:11 AM on February 25, 2018 [2 favorites]

I love everything about this! Thanks for the smile this morning.
posted by shalom at 9:42 AM on February 25, 2018 [1 favorite]

This is so cool! I saw the CBC article about the one in Victoria and it made me curious, so I looked up the other ones. I'm an inveterate window looker-inner when I walk the dog, so this really speaks to me...

I enjoyed reading Lucy Reeves Khan's About Page, where she describes the house she grew up, in called "Playtime" and modeled after the Jacques Tati film.

I grew up in a house called ‘Playtime’, named after a 1968 french film, and this generated rumours that our quiet suburban street was the scene of wife swapping and debauchery. My parents best friends bought the house next door, cut a hole through the wall in the upstairs landing and we climbed in and out of each others lives, adults and children alike. After a few years the council ordered us to remove the ‘Playtime’ sign as it was 3 cm larger than allowed. The rumours, of course, were untrue as it was the anonymous ‘faceless’ houses that held all of that kind of drama. For me, life was all in this street, the families that lived on it with their open doors, extra kids for tea, being in different spaces other than your own home and of course, being outdoors.

posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 11:17 AM on February 25, 2018 [4 favorites]

It's FAB!
So here we are in South Bristol, our Window Wanderland is on this weekend, here are some from my area: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/windowwanderlandbristol/ (including our window).

and here are a lot more to see: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/windowwanderland/

It's great for the community - The whole area is alive tonight, families going for a (very cold) walk after dinner before bedtime.
posted by Dr Ew at 11:24 AM on February 25, 2018 [1 favorite]

Thanks for posting those, Dr. Ew! What a gorgeous piece of community building.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 3:54 PM on February 25, 2018