Idea of the day: Graffiti

I like good graffiti. Watching Rome S1 the other day I was inspired to think about how to encourage good, relevant, hell even entertaining graffiti.

I got to thinking that supplying a visible forum for graffiti-ists might
both limit the amount of destructive tagging, which is complete shit that is only a hair's breadth above carving your initials, and encourage people to actually think about saying something relevant and topical.

So, my idea is this. A company with some $$ to spend on a high visibility social campagin buys a few billboard sites. They then set out an area in a town open space (with good lighting and perhaps some food) with a billboard sized canvas/board and some free paint. The sponsoring company could tack their logo on the bottom (later, ahem, rather than be subject to obliteration)

Let people go wild for a week. Or a weekend. It will take a while to work out what length of time is appropriate, and also for both people to notice and then calm down. Expect some excellent work to be overwritten with crap; respect has to be l/earnt.

At the end of a period, which may be determined by the artistic merits, haul the billboard up to a site. Leave it there for a week, then repeat ad infinitum.

An accompanying website log would of course be required, as would a charity auction for the best pieces. Even side-industries like these bags could spring up, although longevity could be limited.

Anway, it is probably better posted on the halfbakery as it isn't completely formed. Feel free to implement :-)

PS Also to come is a post on satirists and patronage.