To celebrate the 110th birthday of famed author George Orwell, best known for his dystopian novel 1984, the Dutch artists at Front404 have decorated surveillance cameras in the city Utrecht with colorful party hats.
Considering that Orwell has coined the term “Big Brother” in reference to the ever-watching surveillance state, this public art series is a particularly apt tribute to the British writer.
According to Front404, “by putting these happy party hats on the surveillance cameras, we not only celebrate Orwell’s birthday. By making these inconspicuous cameras that we ignore in our daily lives catch the eye again we also create awareness of how many cameras really watch us nowadays”.
In light of recent developments, it may seem like Orwell’s version of the police state is coming close to becoming a reality.
Scroll down to view more images of these festively decked out surveillance cameras.
[via PopSci, Buzz Feed]