Earlier this year, a whimsical sight stretched above a street in one of Paris’s shopping districts. A sea of brightly colored umbrellas appeared to float above the busy passage. Portuguese artist Patricia Cunha and her team of artists build vibrant umbrella installations in some of the world’s most popular destinations. For the work in Paris, the team used about 800 umbrellas!
The group of artists call their installations the Umbrella Sky Project. To create each one, the team attaches cable lines to the surrounding buildings. They secure the tip of each umbrella to a cable, suspending them above the street below. The works provide cheerful cover—and contemporary public art—in some of the world’s most culturally vibrant cities.
The group’s creative goal is to “bring color and joy to places and their surroundings.” The photo, above, shows a dazzling 2017 work in Saint-Chamond—a French town that dates back to as early as 1 A.D.”