Escaped Infrastructure was a site-specific temporary installation that introduced a new dynamic to the Manayunk Canal, a remnant of Philadelphia’s industrial past. The goal of the temporary public art project was to create an interactive experience that would draw visitors down to the canal and raise awareness of its condition. Inspired by the networks of pipes and wires along the canal, Thoughtbarn conceived of infrastructure ‘breaking loose’ to create unexpected experiences along the towpath. The installation consisted of bundles of clear tubes, wound together in a twisting form and appearing to emerge from the canal. A series of water pumps in the canal were activated by motion sensors as visitors walked along the towpath. The water was drawn through the tubes, becoming visible to passers-by on the adjacent street as well as on the canal. As it poured out of the other end it also lent the canal an audible quality for the first time. Integrated LED lights created a glowing effect at night, allowing the installation to be seen from several hundred feet away after dark. Escaped Infrastructure appeared both alien and familiar. On the one hand, the tubes and structural ribs seemed utilitarian (“Is this a water filtration system?”). Cyclists often passed by at high speed without looking twice. On the other hand, pedestrians, traveling at slower speeds, were intrigued as they realized the water activity related to their movements. A slight time delay between the sensor activation and the water movement made the installation seem like an organism with “a life of its own”. This was exacerbated after heavy rains, when sediment from storm runoff was deposited in the tubes, turning them to a spectrum of greens and browns.