I think we have all seen bicycle parts repurposed. I'll be honest, I love my bike but I have never found any use for bike parts other than on my bike. But when Carolina Fontoura Alzaga emailed me to share her incredible bicycle chandeliers, I was blown away. Her chandeliers are stunning, elegant and seem to transcend any era. I asked her to tell us a little bit about how she became inspired to turn bike parts into such beauty:
In my early 20's I was completely immersed in and surrounded by bike and DIY culture. My bike was my sole mode of transportation then. I shared a warehouse with a 12 person collective in Denver, CO. Like in many punk houses, in our kitchen we had a bike wheel from which we hung our pots and pans and sitting there one day in 2004 it occurred to me to make a bike chandelier. I ended up making something that resembled more of a mobile and although it was lovely it wasn't what I wanted. My next attempt was for my BFA thesis in 2007 where I made a proper, traditional form, 5 ft chandelier made out of bike rims, chains, and cassettes/freewheels. I have since made 24 distinct forms.
