Fraley’s Robot Repair is a fictional business set up as a public art installation. The Artist behind this installation is Toby Atticus Fraley, a multidisciplinary artist based in the Pittsburgh area.
This installation opened for a year long run on Duquesne Light Light Up Night®, November 18, 2011.
The shop depicts what appears to be a robot repair shop where the owners have left for vacation, leaving robots in various stages of repair, including one peering through the store windows longing for life in the outside world. The scene appears to be set in the future, where robot ownership is commonplace, with a 1950’s aesthetic. Interactive QR codes and a website allow smartphone and internet users a behind-the-scenes view of the creation of the art piece. Those who frequent the area will see the installation change and evolve over the course of the year.
Project Pop Up Pittsburgh is a new initiative of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl with the Urban Redevelopment Authority, Department of City Planning and Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. Project grants were awarded to for-profit and nonprofit ventures including art installations, retail shops, restaurants, educational initiatives or a combination.
