Photo: In-House International
Mural Pledge
Mural Pledge is a colorful, visually striking mural whose illustration changes based on the temperature outside.
The mural, displayed in central Austin, TX, is partially painted with thermochromic / heat sensitive paints that change color at different temperatures (below and above 77* Fahrenheit). This way, a second image is hidden beneath the main one – revealing two possible, but very different futures – with and without climate action.
The work is created by the global creative studio In-House International, co-founded by artists Lope Gutierrez-Ruiz and Michu Benaim Steiner. For Mural Pledge, they collaborated with local muralist Kimie Flores to bring the design to life.
The work is displayed in Austin, TX, at 501 Studios (East 5th and I-35), until December 2020.
“Inspired by Austin’s love of its mural culture, this artwork calls people to ‘Change the world’ and ‘Change climate change’, underlining the importance of individual actions to the collective future.”
This work is part of our global art action with Countdown, TED’s global initiative to champion and accelerate solutions to the climate crisis. We worked with a group of TED Fellows on ten public artworks, all launching on 10.10.2020 in ten cities around the world. The goal – to raise awareness for Countdown, while translating key climate issues in ways that spur imaginations and trigger participation. See all projects here.
Time-lapse of the mural reacting to changing temperatures. Photo: In-House International
THE ARTISTS
In-House International is a creative studio based in Austin, TX and founded by Lope Gutierrez-Ruiz, Michu Benaim Steiner and Alexander Wright in 2012.
Lope Gutierrez-Ruiz is a partner at In-House International. He’s a TED Senior Fellow, and John S. Knight Fellow at Stanford. He designs experiences to build a better, more beautiful world — no matter the media or resources.
Michu Benaim Steiner leads remote creative studio In-House International in Austin, TX. She’s a Venezuelan-American writer, designer and producer interested in generating connection and belonging. At In-House, Michu led the creative and Carlos Castro Lugo created the graphics for this project.