It is hard not to view this frozen waterfall as an artwork, but it only functions as art inadvertently. Its effect is quietly visceral, though, a response I don’t have to art often enough. The last resident in this building in China, holding out against expropriation by developers, makes a DIY drip system for preventing his pipes from freezing after owners shut off the heating system. Via io9 via here.
“Refusing to leave his abandoned apartment building in Jilin City, China, Wen Hsu feared that the uninsulated pipes running through his building would freeze during the winter. His solution? Just leave the tap running.
Wen has lived in this building for 35 years and he’s the last remaining resident. He decided to stay put even after real estate investors bought all the apartments in the block in preparation for a new mall.
Worried that his water supply would be cut off by the frigid temperatures, he left the warm water running and diverted it down the side of the building — and this is the result.
Wen says that the developers have offered him too small an amount to be able to buy another apartment, so he’s refusing to sell his home.
The incident has drawn attention to his case in the Chinese media and officials are now asking the developers to settle the matter so that the project can move on.”