Reverse graffiti is a delightfully provocative art form that works by selectively cleaning the grime off a city’s walls and streets (and by writing “clean me” on the back of vans). It has city governments the world over racking their brains over how to prosecute the perpetrators—how are you going to punish the people that clean your city for you? But officials need not worry much longer because they’re getting help from an unlikely source: the business world. The Dutch version of women’s magazine Elle has started a reverse graffiti campaign to advertise its wares. Surely no self-respecting artist will touch reverse graffiti now that it has been tainted by commercialism?
Elle’s “artists”—in a presumed rush to get as much work done as possible—are using stencils and pressure washers to clean parts of the pavement.
Photos: stills from Elle’s promotional video. See also: reverse graffiti by Moose (UK) and by Alexandre Orion (Brasil). Via Dagelinks (Dutch).
Last year journalist Teun van de Keuken failed to get convicted for complicity in slavery, 
This design for a tape dispenser by Derk Reilink (fourth year student Industrial Product Design at the Saxion Hogeschool in Enschede) won second place in this year’s HEMA Design Competition. First place was won by Annet Hennink, who came up with a disposable cake stand. I also like the pan lid with holes, making it easier to drain water after you’ve boiled your veggies.
With the slogan “will only words remain?”, these adverts warn against the extinction of rare animal species using images consisting of the names of the endangered species. The video adverts are particularly impressive, though I also like this particular one depicting a zebra crossing.