These roads were fixed using gold and an ancient Japanese art form

Instead of using asphalt to repair the cracks in sidewalks and roads, artist Rachel Sussman uses something so much better: gold.

Her series, entitled Sidewalk Kintsukuroi, involves the use of an ancient Japanese art form called Kintsukuroi, also known as Kintsugi. It’s the practice wherein broken pottery are fixed with glue and powdered gold, stressing the value of an object’s history and imperfections, rather than just throwing them away.

Sussman took this idea and applied it to New York City’s damaged pavements.

“Cracks represent something in need of attention, and the surfaces we walk, bike, and drive over are usually overlooked until they’re in truly critical condition,” Sussman told Hyperallergic.

“By gilding them, it’s a way to see what’s around us with fresh eyes and to celebrate perseverance.”

She added that despite her interventions, these repairs are also ephemeral – much like everything else in life.

“Over time, even the repairs will be destroyed,” Sussman said. “They will be walked on and scuffed, and eventually overwritten with something else. Such is the transient nature of everything in the universe. All the more reason to value the time we have.”

You can see more of Rachel Sussman’s works here.

Via This Is Colossal