‘Gang of eight’ street artists give Beijing phone booths the Baymax makeover
We just wanted to remind people to stay in touch with their families and friends, says one young painter
More than 30 public telephone booths on a street in Beijing have been given a facelift to resemble Baymax – an inflatable healthcare robot from the Disney animated film Big Hero 6, which is hugely popular in China – the Beijing Times reports.
The booths, which have been repainted white with Baymax smiles, caught the attention of passers-by who stopped to take photos.
The makeover was carried out by eight young people as a way to remind people not to lose touch with their families and friends.
One of the painters, Jiang, told the Times that the group refurbished the booths in the early hours of Sunday.
He said that before the age of mobile phones, people used public telephones to contact their loved ones. But now, most telephone booths are worn-out and seldom used, covered in dust and advertising stickers.
“We cleaned and beautified them at the same time. We used the motif of Baymax, who is such a warm character, to remind the public to stay in touch with those they cared about,” Jiang said.