Eerie sidewalk photos creep out pedestrians at Art Center

Pictured is the section of road covered with black-and-white portraits of an author in front of Ningbo Culture Center in Zhejiang province. The art installation was created for a book signing event at the center. Photo: Modern Gold Express

An art installation that displays a single black-and-white portrait of an author on the ground thousands of times has locals spooked in Ningbo, Zhejiang province.

"The road is covered with so many faces, it really makes me feel uncomfortable," said a woman surnamed Chen who works nearby.

The installation displays a single A4-sized portrait of a woman scheduled to hold a book signing at the center on May 11. The event was canceled due to rain.

Media reports failed to mention the name of the author.

In Chinese culture, black and white portraits of the deceased are displayed during funerals.

Some creeped out pedestrians at the Ningbo Culture Center are reportedly taking a detours around the section of road, which measures at least six meters wide and 20 meters long.

"It's horrifying and we went out of our way to avoid it," said a passer-by surnamed Zeng.

A security guard at the art center said the installation was completed on April 25. He admits that although he was startled by the photos at first, he's gotten used to it.

"Now the ground looks cleaner and more artistic. This is an art center, so there is nothing weird about it," said the security guard.

Another employee explained the portraits would be removed at a later date.