MIT Hacks, Pranks, and Other Forms of Guerilla Architecture

MIT hackers placed a "Triforce" from the 'Legend of Zelda' game series atop the Great Dome (Building 10) to celebrate the release of the Nintendo Wii game console and the accompanying game 'Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.'

[As it turns out, this was a final project for the class 4.301 Intro to Visual Arts. Yes, you can get academic credit at MIT for this kind of thing—it's definitely not the first nor the last 4.301 project to bear an uncanny resemblance to a hack.]

A large red dollar sign, mocking MIT's penchant for expensive and impractical sculpture installations, appeared on the grassy lawn just north of MIT's Building 68. The accompanying placard read as follows:

"Artist Michael DiAres brings his latest creation to MIT thanks to the Epsilon For Arts Program.

Working out of his basement studio (pictured in background) he creates visually stunning sculptures from both mundane and exotic materials. His focus on cultural symbols has made him well known around the world with installations like his 'Giant Euro' in Dresden, Germany and 'Enormous Yen' in the city center of Osaka, Japan.

'Large Red Dollar Sign' has been in production for over two years and was delivered at a cost of over $700,000. Viewers are often astonished at the scale and vibrancy of the work. Whether you are a student, professor, or passerby you can't help but be awed at the sense of humanity and deep meaning instilled by this beautiful installation.

Copyright 2006 Brandenburg Installations."