Blind Lucky Charms
2019
A public art initiative providing an experiential encounter, during which we distributed 400 enamel pins.
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Blind Lucky Charms was conceptualised and coordinated by Angela Budden, and developed in collaboration with designer, Laura Lazaletta, and writer, Joe Frost.
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Blind Lucky Charms was funded by and developed for Create 2308, a creative festival held at the University of Newcastle, Australia. We delivered the project over five days across Callaghan and Ourimbah campuses.
About the project
Blind Lucky Charms was an experiential public art initiative during the Create 2308 creativity festival at the University of Newcastle, where we distributed 400 enamel pins to the university community.
The project was inspired by the allure of blind box packaging—an unboxing experience characterised by the excitement of the unknown and the genuine reactions that follow the unveiling of the object inside. Blind Lucky Charms aimed to explore this captivating experience while sharing beautiful, fun, and unique art objects with the community. However, obtaining a lucky charm was contingent upon individuals demonstrating responsiveness to their immediate environment and a willingness to embrace chance and opportunity.
To embody this concept, we devised eight humorous and whimsical 'lucky' phrases, each serving as the inspiration for the design of corresponding enamel pins. We then produced 50 pins for each design (400 pins total), which were then individually sealed in a blind box package, ready to be claimed by those fortunate enough to discover them.
The distribution method involved placing allocations of Blind Lucky Charms in four pot-of-gold displays, which were then dropped in different locations on campus each day. Without providing any hints to the public regarding the drop sites, individuals had to actively seek them out or happen upon them by chance. By day's end, it became evident that each pot had been depleted of its Blind Lucky Charms, and by the conclusion of the project, all of the pins had been eagerly collected.
