The Iris Project wants you to push its buttons. For its public art project ย“Listen Up!,ย” the local artist collective stuck 500 red sound buttons on buildings, signs, bus stops and more in the Museum District and the Montrose area. All for your pushing pleasure. When pushed, each button makes a different sound ranging from statements like ย“Donย’t Touch Meย” to songs to sounds heard around the buttonย’s location, such as a car horn if itย’s near a street. ย“One way to read it is kind of like sound graffiti,ย” says David Graeve, a member of the Iris Project.

The buttons arenย’t easy to spot; theyย’re about an inch in diameter, Graeve says, like a shirt button. ย“So, not everyoneย’s going to [see] them because thereย’s no big signage or verbiage around them that says, ย‘Push meย’ or ย‘Look at meย’ or something. Itย’s a fairly discreet installation.ย”

The buttonsย’ size isnย’t the only reason you might miss them: Theyย’re also removable ย— a fact we offered to keep under wraps. ย“No, you can put that. Theyย’re meant to be stolen,ย” Graeve says and laughs. ย“Well, weย’d like to have them up for a while, but theyย’re signed and dated art ย— part of this is just to mess with the idea of the economics and the commodity of art and object making.ย” Each button includes the recorded message, a date and the Iris Projectย’s signature.

The buttons went up on April 25, and Graeve says there will be one wave of replacements. Hopefully thereย’s still some left. Happy hunting. The buttons will be around until May 25ย…or until theyย’re all taken. For information, visit www.irisprojectsound.com. Free.

April 25-May 25, 2008

This article appears in May 1-7, 2008.