for several years, lyon-based artist benedetto bufalino has been enriching public space with an enchanting and entertaining appeal, turning ordinary objects and ideas on their heads. this time, bufalino has created a mobile phone — but not the type you hold in your hand, the kind you ride inside. the artist’s very literal interpretation of a mobile phone sees a telephone booth turned into a portable vehicle that can be surprisingly stood on and ridden in the street. 

benedetto bufalino mobile phone
benedetto bufalino has been enriching public space with an enchanting and entertaining appeal

 

 

in a short video, bufalino makes a telephone call in a booth which — equipped with wheels — haphazardly drives along the road. playfully changing lanes and even getting stuck in traffic, the glass-clad cabin offers a humorous window into the pre-cell phone world, when those wishing to contact someone from the street would have to seek out a booth for their call — a now nostalgic idea. the project has been presented as part of l’afiac curated by patrick tarres, and isn’t the first time bufalino has experimented with the idea of a phone booth. previously, the artist turned the urban objects into exotic aquariums. 

benedetto bufalino mobile phone
the artist has created a mobile phone — but not the type you hold in your hand, the kind you ride inside 

benedetto bufalino mobile phone
the urban object playfully changes lanes, follows a roundabout, and even gets stuck in a bit of traffic

benedetto bufalino mobile phone
the glass-clad cabin offers a humorous window into the pre-cell phone world — a nostalgic glimpse at the past 

benedetto bufalino mobile phone
bufalino makes a telephone call in a booth while it drives around the city