I’ve always been interested in the magic of stumbling onto a compelling artwork. There’s something really different about coming across art “in the wild,” as opposed to in the prepared, guarded context of a museum or gallery.

Plus, I was still coming out of my teenage obsession with Banksy.

I wanted to somehow activate the city itself, to bring agency and life to elements of the urban landscape that typically disappear into scenery, background, obstacle. The “custom electronics” are as basic as it comes: an LED array from a broken desk lamp, professionally housed in an empty hummus container, attached to a homemade pressure plate switch under a piece of plywood. Step on the plywood, and the hydrant becomes a tiny spotlight amid the noise and glare of Manhattan traffic.