Videos Critique Twin Cities' Skyways

Skyways in Minneapolis and St. Paul have been a major part of the two cities downtowns for years, but are also blamed for killing their streetlife. A new video competition challenged filmmakers to explore that dichotomy.

1 minute read

April 7, 2011, 11:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


This piece from MinnPost reviews the videos from the competition and what they have to say about the skyways.

"[I]t was smart of Architecture Minnesota Magazine to launch a video competition aimed at exploring the impact of skyways on urban life. The entries - 24 of them - came from a wide swath of designers, technicians, entertainers and video hobbyists. The top six were featured at an exuberant event at the Walker Art Center on Thursday night.

All six were imaginative and delightful to the eye and ear. The big crowd had a ball, especially during a 3D hip-hop offering from Benjamin Lindau and Keon Chi ("Don't be a hamster / be-be a man"), which, I think, celebrated the sidewalk option. Another favorite was James Tucker's droll archeological spoof, "Urban Mysteries," in which future scientists discover the ruins of skyways and speculate on their function and meaning."

Monday, April 4, 2011 in MinnPost

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