The Invisible Dog Art Center

The story

The Invisible Dog Art Center was once a factory that made invisible dogs — those trick leashes designed to look like they're walking a pet that isn't there. Lucien Zayan discovered the Boerum Hill building in 2008, pitched his idea to the owner, and when he took over, held a flea market to clear it out. What he thought was junk turned out, in his words, to be "a treasure-trove of vintage merchandise and furniture — particularly the thousands of belts on hand from the 1960s." Buckles, molds, and industrial fixtures still remain. Artists in residence now draw inspiration from exactly that strangeness.