THE ARTS IN NEW YORK CITY Fall 2017 | Baruch College | Macaulay Honors

Ai Weiwei’s citywide exhibit, Good Fences Make Good Neighbors is presented at a crucial time in history, a year ago we elected an extremely xenophobic president who is threatening to close our borders and deport immigrants, even ones that were brought to America as children. Weiwei’s installation serves to publicize the anti-immigrant rhetoric that is becoming dangerously commonplace to believe in and to criticize it.  This anti-immigrant feeling might not seem to be the largest problem in New York City, where we have tons of different immigrant populations who we know are critical to our culture, but in the America as a whole and the rest of the world, anti-immigrant sentiment is quite dangerous and serves a threat to the lives of immigrants and refugees who are fleeing their home countries for a variety of reasons.

The first installation I visited was the Circle Fence in the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. The last time I had been here was with my dad and stepmom when I was a kid and I remember that we had found someone’s lost phone and were trying to call someone who could tell them, but the phone belonged to a Spanish speaking person so we had a hard time figuring out how to call someone. This was before the days of smart phones when one could use Google Translate to translate something on the fly. Luckily my Dad understands Spanish so we figured it out and got the phone back to him. I feel like this story is a good analogy to how it’s not necessarily bad to live in a multilingual community. It makes us more knowledgeable, my dad only understood Spanish because he had been working in a garage with many Spanish speakers. This installation was pretty cool because it highlighted a previous installation from the World’s Fair in 1964 which was to serve as a symbol of international unity at the height of the Cold War, it’s important to remember past sentiments of internationality and why they were important then and now.

The next installation I visited was in Central Park. This installation was a Gilded Cage that uses functions of architecture to demonstrate both elements of opulence and confinement. This makes quite a statement towards the people who work or live near Central Park, people who probably are very rich and powerful and might not be so pro-immigrant. It forces the viewer to actually stand inside of a cage, and try to imagine what it is like to be on the other side of the power dynamic. I think it’s a really good technique to bring out people who like go see public art and take pictures of it for their Instagram, and then force them to think about their place in society.

The last installation I visited with Veronica. It was the cage that Weiwei placed strategically inside the arch in Washington Square. It was a strategic placement because the arch was made to commemorate George Washington leading the nation to democracy. Democracy is supposedly one of the main tenets of our country but lately it hasn’t been feeling too valued. Things like the electoral college prevent us from directly voting who we want to be president and we can see how that really manifested in the election of Donald Trump, who did not win the popular vote. This is a really cool installation because it forces you to stand in the space of an encaged person and be confronted with your own image.   

If I had to create a public art project that engaged the NYC community around the theme I chose for my curatorial project, which was the conflict surrounding the Israeli occupation of Palestine, I would make some kind of performance art piece that would force people to see things through the eyes of others. I’m thinking that I could have Jews and Muslims in New York City go into a room where there is a thin wall dividing them from each other. Then I could have questions that they could answer to see the humanity in each other and understand that they aren’t so different. I got this idea from an article I read on the New York Times a couple of years ago called The 36 Questions That Lead to Love which was inspired by an essay by Mandy Len Catron called To Fall in Love With Anyone, Do This.  It breaks down how people fall in love with each other with science, and brings up intimate questions that would normally take a long time to figure out. I think it would be really cool to try this out on a large scale, in a public space and have strangers ask these kinds of questions to each other. I think that it could be set up in a park somewhere and then could be recorded to be publicized or shown in a museum. Showing it in a museum or having the video available online would help engage the community so that a larger conversation could begin on the subject.

Ai Weiwei – Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

Originally, this exhibition was made as a response to the global migration crisis as well as the social and political impulse to divide people from one another. There were so many fascinating things about the exhibit but I think personally, the greatest one, was the idea that the entire exhibit was spread throughout the city, and not just in one room in a museum. Walking around the city trying to find them, I was mesmerized as to how engaged the artist has made its viewers by spreading the exhibit out.

The first exhibition was in Washington Square Park. This showcase was much different from the rest because it actually embodied the arch, which is a staple tourist attraction in New York City. To me, this piece works in engaging the community as it acts a sign to keep on going. Despite the difficulties at hand, you always keep going and get through that arch because there’s always something to look forward to. The opening in the arch with the outline of the people tells you to go through that opening, to never turn around and stop fighting.

The second exhibition, banner 151, was eye opening. It was a portrait of a Greek refugee and the third exhibition, banner 119, was also a Greek refugee. Even though both of these individuals had different stories, they are presented “in consisted format, emphasizing their shared humanity” as the artist wrote. No matter what past stories these individuals had, when they come to the US, they are in a way, united as one. Both banners to me have a sense of hope, that this life in America that they are living in will be better than what they used to live in. Keeping hope in mind, you should also keep in mind of the struggles that refugees face on a day to day basis and how difficult it must be for them to adapt to a new lifestyle.

If I had to create a public art project that engaged the NYC community around the theme of immigration, I would make a similar showcase. Immigration is what the foundation of New York City is based on so what better way to represent the city than stories of past migrations? Before coming to America, everyone’s individual stories and hardships differ from one another. But as they come to America, just like in those banners, people unite. People unite because they are lost in a new place and just want to quit struggling and finally live the life they all deserve. I think my form would be murals.

Murals all over the city, each mural telling a different story, of a different immigrant. I think this would be a great way to show off just how culturally diverse the city is and engage the community into realizing how important and crucial diversity is. Aside from the story of the immigrant, each mural would also have a statistic on the bottom. I think statistics when it comes to a topic like this are pretty valuable when it comes to grasping the attention of viewers. When they see numbers and statistics of different immigration situations and how much of our city is truly made up of immigrants, their interest in reading about that one immigrant they stumbled upon on the mural, will certainly be heightened. Museums are great and there are definitely exhibits I have been to that completely captivated me. The murals are kind of a way for people to not have to take the time out of their day to go to a museum and view this, but can be something that stops you for a minute, or five, on your way to get lunch or to catch the train.

“Good Fences Make Good Neighbors.”

Before being assigned this blog, I had always seen these ads on the subway and ignored them. I had always glimpsed at the title and easily dismissed them. That was a big mistake on my part. After visiting three of his public art installations this week, I can honestly say that Ai Weiwei is one of those few artists who can truly evoke emotion in his viewers. At least to me anyway. Born in 1957 Beijing, he struggled with many hardships throughout his life – exile with his family as a child, life as an immigrant art student in New York City, and ruthless repression as an artist and activist in China. These influences are clearly evident in his work.

The first piece I visited was entitled “The Gilded Cage.” Located at 60^th Street and 5^th Ave, the entrance to Central Park, it is quite an overwhelming structure. As the name suggests, it is a very large, golden cage. Upon first glance, I was immediately entranced by it. It reminded me of Maya Angelou’s “Why the Caged Bird Sings,” and brought me back to my childhood when I had first heard that poem. It also made me think about the article I had read before visiting – the one attached to the course site about Ai Weiwei’s background. It made me think about how well he conveyed the feeling of being trapped. A feeling that he’s experienced his whole life.

The second piece I visited was the “Circle Fence.” I chose to go there because it was located in front of the iconic Unisphere in Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, a place I frequently rode my bike past. At first, I have to say I was a little baffled by this installation. I wasn’t entirely sure what was going and the meaning wasn’t obvious to me at first sight. It was simply underwhelming. However, after staring at it for a few minutes, I realized that it was meant to represent the border. Not the physical border between the U.S. and Mexico or the one between the U.S. and Canada, but rather the invisible borders that we all face throughout our lives.

Lastly, I went to the “Arch,” at Washington Square.  That was my favorite installation. Like “The Gilded Cage,” it also features a very large, metal cage. It only differs in the fact that there is a passageway through the center – a passageway in the shape of two people. To me, that represents the story of many immigrants who’ve landed in America. They’ve in a way broken out of the cages that were their homelands. Similarly, to the way Weiwei did.

If I were to create my own public art project that engaged the NYC community, it would be centered on the many types of love that exist in society. It would feature installations about heterosexual couples, homosexual couples, interracial couples, etc. Each one would be a large banner, standing proudly in a public area. Some would be in black and white, and others in color. I’m thinking one of each in each individual community.

There would be ten locations – two in each borough. In Manhattan, one would be in Madison Square Park and the other just inside the Central Park gates. In Queens, there would be one in Forest Hills, right across Sunrise Chevrolet in the park where groups of elderly people always commune. The other would be hanging down from the ceiling in the middle of Queens Center Mall. In Brooklyn, there would be one right in front of Brooklyn College and another at the entrance to the Williamsburg Bridge. In the Bronx, there would be one draped down the side of Yankee Stadium and another in the butterfly garden at the Bronx Zoo. In Staten Island, there would be one outside of the National Lighthouse Museum and another at the ferry docks.

The pieces would be large and demand attention. One wouldn’t be able to walk past any of these locations and not notice them. They would raise awareness on the issues and discrimination that people still exist today. They would evoke emotion and force some kind of response. The idea isn’t to get everybody on my side, but to make communities aware of what really goes in our society. To encourage people to let love exist, regardless of the form that it is in.

-Alyssa Motilal

On Friday, I decided to take the train to Washington Square Park to do some observing. I’ve visited Washington Square Park before and always looked at these banners but not once did I know what they meant… Until now. I was handed the assignment of collecting information of these pieces and analyzing how they connect the community. With the help of the interactive map online and the MTA, I set off on a journey to really find out what these pieces meant.

Arch

This is the Washington Square Park Arch, one of my 3 installations. This piece works to engage the community through in structure and size. It definitely stands out compared to most pieces of art. Located in the middle of the park, you won’t be able to miss this gigantic structure. It’s no wonder everyone loves taking photos of it.

Banner 123

This is Banner 123. One of the many banners that roam around Washington Square Park. What’s special about this banner is the story behind it. It’s the photo of a refugee from Greece which I believe can really affect some of the people in the community. Being that so many people are tourists, they can look at this banner and feel a sense of safety and acceptance.

Banner 53

This is Banner 53 located just down the block from the arch. This banner is Victor Hugo, otherwise known as a French novelists who wrote many famous pieces that people still analyze today. I believe this banner shows the creativity and open culture that we all share here in the city and community.

Being the werido I am, I wrote my curatorial project on the gym and how it has developed from an era of aesthetics to an era of athletes. When asked to make my own public art project in NYC, I couldn’t have been more excited. But the problem is, my project is everywhere. “The world is your playground”, as I like to say, really sets the point that about anywhere and anyone someone can turn a bench in a sick push up spot or a scaffolding into a sweet pull up bar. But, if I were to make my own public art project it would be located at the heart of New York, Times Square. The reason being, the amount of interaction would be second to none. With locals and tourists walking by, it would bring a smile to my face to just watch someone take up a barbell or a dumbbell and just start curling out of pure jokes. That’s what I want it be, a fun time where no one feels obligated to follow any strict rules. Just put a few weights on the floor and see what people do with them. If it makes them happy, then my deed was done and if it doesn’t at least they have the experience. Through pure curiosity and excitement if how I would engage my community into my own idea and then possibly something as silly as a gym can revamp the ideas they have and make them come up with similar creative ideas. No art, no paintings, no structures or statues, just a few weights on the floor, in no specific order, just laying around Times Square.

Kevin Hasa

The Exodus

The “Exodus” at Essex Street is an amazing Ad Platform because it depicts parallels between the people walking down the street and the people depicted in the ad. Both are weighed down by the burdens of life and on a constant journey to get somewhere in life. Whether socially or in their workplace, many people in New York City are constantly trying to get somewhere in life. The rush of New York City can be depicted by the Exodus art because the people in the image are constantly evolving and moving ahead in life.

Unisphere: Circle Fence

Flushing Meadows Corona Park is one of my favorite places in New York because of the memories I have created there. Whether it was running through the fountain with my cousins from Texas, riding my bike from Long Island all the way to the Unisphere with my best friend, or even playing football at the park nearby with friends, this area of New York has always provided me great memories. While visiting once again, I immediately saw the impact the Unisphere had on other people as well. The Circle Fence provided an area to relax and enjoy the “world” with their loved ones. This open art helped to strengthen the power of the Unisphere itself.

Arch

Although the steel cage seemed like an obstruction to the Arch at first, I quickly realized the deeper meaning of the open art as I saw the figure that was cutout of it. The cutout of the two figures below the already historical arch helped to create an inception of thought and unity. Visitors were able to engage the steel cage cutout by manipulating the frames and perspectives they took their photos. It continues to draw visitors and other members of the community through its eye appeal and deeper meaning.

If I were to create a public art project that engaged the New York City Community I would begin by creating guidelines for the optimal results. Reach the greatest number of people through placing art in high traffic areas, do not dislocate current artwork pieces (only add to the message or overall theme of the initial art), and use one artwork created by a normal everyday member of the City. The theme from my curatorial project will enable my artwork to reach all demographics of people in New York City. The class structure theme from my Curatorial Project will help to capture artwork in different locations of the City that enable the widest influence and impact on the people of New York. Art in the different classes will not be filtered based on any financial restrictions, to be fair to all people, the public art will not have price tags depending on its location. I would also include structural art, ad platforms and street art to help capture the true art of New York City. This not only enables the art forms to be widespread, but to reach a number of different viewers as well. Overall, my public art project would be an extension of my Curatorial Project by basing art in different classes that spoke to each region and caused a controversy that sparked a healthy debate and discussion among its inhabitants.

– Abishek Johnson

These installment pieces are everywhere in NYC for a reason. Each one reflecting and symbolizing something for that specific area. This installment piece looks like their brothers or friends in some way. It is able to be seen from all angles showing outside viewers when they pass by as well as on a symbolic level to relate to everyone. This also “works” because everyone has a type of family or friend that they could relate to when they look at this.

This installment piece shows someone who covering himself with a hood. In this case, it is possible that since many installment pieces are of immigrants, this one is of a boy with a hope of a new dream. I relate to this as well as the public because the majority of NYC is immigrants which are seen in the diversity of the city. It is placed in NYC as a way to operate in such a diverse city as well as function as the city where dreams and a bright future is available to young kids.

This arch acts as a gateway to something new. Through walking in this arch its as if your entering to a new life. It kind of relates to the last installment piece of hope for a bright future. There is no coincidence that this leads to Washington Square Park. Washington was the one who OPENED the way to a bright future for the country. This is seen by all passersby showing its importance in a key location and a key piece within NYC.

From going around a part of NYC and looking at the public art, specifically the giant arch and 2 different banners, I was able to notice that these public arts only related to me and probably others in an eye-catching way rather than an interactive way. Although there are initiatives which are related to these arts, and therefore promote action, the public art which I have seen doesn’t necessarily require action in the moment. My curatorial assignment was on the interactiveness and engagement of education and creativity. The museum which I created to place my paintings it was actually very fun, engaging, and memorable. These adjectives are similar attributes which I would want my public art project would include. Without interactiveness, there is just a temporary effect on the person. I would create a maze in NYC which would challenge New Yorkers and even tourist on subjects such as art, creativity, music, and the “classic” school subjects as well. I would place it in a very busy area such as central park to allow a lot of traffic and popularity to the site. The walls of the maze would increase in color diversity depending on the stage of the maze where a group is. This shows that the further you get to the “finish line of creativity” the more “colorful” one’s personality is. The maze would interact with people in any language (using headphones). The interaction of many different languages in an enclosed area acts as an outlet to a potential microcosm of what NYC is today. NYC is a culturally diverse pool, but, as opposed to many people just passing and paying no attention to the diversity they would be “stuck” with one another and will have to communicate normally. This maze would advocate educational creativity as well as regular creativity as well as regular schooling through questions which a group would have to answer to get one step closer out of the maze. This would be especially engaging to New Yorkers because of the gritty and tough attitude which we’re known for. Also, this further allows tourists to see us in action and interact with us as well. The form of the maze would be unknown to create a certain sense of mystery. The shape and mysterious attributes of maze would be thought-provoking and engaging to those who are up for the challenge. The ability to engage someone in creativity and actually think about their passion and what they like in the world is the first step to change. It starts with the maze and goes to NYC and beyond!!!!!!

By: Alon Bezalel

I went to Cooper Union to visit Five Fences placed on the Science and Art building of the college. It was my first time visiting the college. At first it looks like it’s a part of the building, but then the silver color adds a huge contrast to the Cooper Union building. The five fences reflects on immigrants blending and conforming within society. The artist most likely used the silver color to help alienate the fences, so it would stand out more like immigrants in society.

Out of all the exhibits of Ai Weiwei, this one intrigued me the most. I passby Washington Square Park often, and I finally stepped foot onto the park to see the full steel sculpture set right under the arch. As you go through the sculpture, you see the outline of two figures conjoining together. The figures uniting symbolizes not letting fences or barriers be a factor of division among people.

On Fridays, I work in Brooklyn, so I decided to take a stop by one of the bus shelters near my job. I wondered why he chose a random bus stop in Brooklyn, but he states that it’s to emphasize the human right of free movement. When you look at the bus stand, the artist placed images of a group of children affected by the global migration crisis. Under the picture it stated, “ It surprised me to see so many children not crying. They’re just like adults-it’s wet, it’s cold, it’s an unacceptable situation. Their tears must be all used up.” He’s bringing awareness to the situation, and adding a fence to a public transportation stop symbolizes one being limited on where they want to go.

My topic for my curatorial project was gun violence, and since then there was a shooting in Las Vegas, New York, Texas, and Georgia. I would take a compilation of headlines and pictures of the shooters, and place all the events on a huge glass wall. This will aware people on gun control as well as not all shooters are from a certain background or religion. I would place it right in the middle of Time Square, as it is a huge hub of people from all around the world. This will allow me to share my message from my curatorial project globally, right at home, New York like Weiwei does. The form is a sculpture, and hopefully the enormous size will allow people to spot it easily. Time Square being a huge spot for tourism will allow people to discuss their opinions and viewpoints of what’s going on in the world. We, as a society are getting so used to seeing these shootings on the news, as if they are everyday news. We need to make a change, in order to do that we must bring awareness on the topic of gun control to prevent events like these shown on the sculpture. My intention to gather all this information is not to upset people, but to ‘wake them up.’ Gun control is being neglected in the world, instead of putting the blame on a specific group of people, we need laws against guns. With my sculpture, I want that theme to be relevant through the information and pictures presented on it. Public art allows you to reach and speak to an audience you don’t encounter often. Similar to the artist, Weiwei, I would like my Time Square sculpture to make an impact on people when they see it, which is the purpose of public art.

As I observed three of Ai WeiWei’s pieces, I realized how closed minded societies can be.

Gilded Cage

Gilded Cage

This piece really focuses on engaging the community. We are able to walk through and really interact with the structural this piece specifically focuses on the concept of confinement and the power of repression. This makes the viewers reflect on the outside world and how not all of us are lucky enough to be free and express ourselves freely. Since this piece is located on 5^th avenue, this further shows the wealth that America, and especially New York City, has and how this does not apply to the rest of the world with all its injustice and suffering.

Banner 153

This banner also works to engage the community into reflecting upon the world outside the city and the struggles that refugees face every day. This particular banner shows the face of a refugee from Idomeni (a makeshift camp on the Greek-Macedonian border that was the largest unofficial camp for refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and other “Balkan route” countries). This banner works to show the city’s community a glimpse of the outside world and the tragedy and struggles that thousands upon thousands of refugees’ face.

Banner 130

This banner particularly shows a refugee from the island of Lesvos, Greece (the entry point into Europe that thousands of refugees who fled from Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Senegal, and numerous of other Middle Eastern countries). This banner depicts one of many refugees who have endured perilous journeys in order to survive and works to at least give a glimpse to the New York Community of the struggles that the outside world faces.

My public art project would involve the NYC community to reflect on how they identify themselves and realize how other people may identify themselves. My whole curatorial project revolved around this identity theme with specifics in how Asian Americans identify themselves since they belong to two different worlds, that being questioning whether they identify themselves in the American culture, Asian culture, or both and how to balance it. This public art project thus relates to my curatorial project since it involves identity and how humanity views each other through different perspectives and judgements.

In this public art project, I will be installing mirrors with different quotes written from people describing how they identify themselves all over it. There will be a small middle space to still see yourself. Above this space there is question “who are you?” with bold text. These mirrors will be installed on the posts inside subway stations, bus stations, telephone booths, charging booths, and other commuting stations so there will be a big variety of people that can participate. I feel that having these mirrors around typical commuting areas allow for a great and diverse selection of people that can then get a wider range of results and perspectives.

This engages the community to truly take the time to think about how they identify themselves and how they see themselves while also contemplating how they view other people. This further incorporates how humanity tends to make first impressions visually thus not fully understanding a person, but this project will at least set a beginning step to realizing how first impressions and first judgements aren’t always accurate. People are more than just what they look like or how society boxes them as. This public art project will hopefully at least engage the community to open their eyes to a new perspective even if it is in just a small glance in the mirror.

Claire Ng

Ai Weiwei’s public art exhibit was not only beautiful, it was profoundly thought provoking. It consisted of several large fence themed installations and 200 banners featuring the faces of immigrants that were processed at Ellis Island in the last century and refugees.

Banner #9 can be seen here. It features the face of a young child, likely an immigrant that came to the United States by no say of their own. In many cases, people in these positions are glossed over in the history books of the US, despite having essentially been the foundation our country was built on. I found the medium that the artist used, vinyl with holes in it that allowed the images to appear through the negative space, to be very provocative. The website states that this contrast is meant to be analogous to the experience of immigrants and refugees.

The fence exhibit under the Washington Square Park arch appeared serious from afar but rather silly from inside. Whereas the outside looked like a large steel structure, I found that the inside of it was lined with a warped mirror. This is a good representation of our city as a whole- it tends to appear very business and finance oriented at a glance, but a closer reveals the vibrant and sometimes very funny culture that lies underneath.

The Gilded Cage located at Central Park is a breathtaking structure. According to Weiwei, it is meant represent both the control and beauty NYC architecture can pose. I think this is a fully valid point- many New Yorkers live prisoners to their financial status, jobs, and living arrangements in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Even the wealthy can be prisoners of their own estates. It can easy to feel trapped by the constant movement and grind of NYC.

Continue reading →

Ai Weiwei, an immigrant and creator of the “good fences make good neighbors”, symbolizes through her public display of art a passionate response to the global migration crisis and a reflection on the profound social and political impulse to divide people from each other. She portrayed these art forms through structures, bus shelters, ad platforms, light posts scattered between throughout NYC. I am going to share three different kinds of installations that I visited. The three I visited were: 7^th Street Fence (structure), Good Neighbors 49 (ad platform) and Banner 200(lamppost).

Structures: 7th Street Fence

This picture, of the 7^th Street Fence structure, works to engage the Lower East Side with a constant reminder of the city being built by immigrants. Since the 19th century, sequential waves of immigrants have settled on the Lower East Side including my grandparents. This installment also shows awareness and sympathy for refugees all over the world. Fences symbolize the tension between protection and seclusion. Fences are meant to separate a whole into two groups. This is a very contemporary issue. For example, Trump wants to build a wall, a fence, to keep out illegal immigrants. The fence on the Lower East Side reminds its residence that we are a city among and built by immigrants.

Ad Platform: Good Neighbors 49

In this ad platform labeled Good Neighbors 49, the Ai Wewei has chosen areas in the city that are usually reserved for advertising on bus shelters and NYC kiosks. In this picture, Ai Weswei displays the new photographic series Good Neighbors, taken during his visits to refugee camps and national borders, where fences are used to divide people and define them as different (seen in the 7^th Street Fence). This picture was taken at the Makeshift Camp in Idomeni, Greece. This striking picture of a tent among mud are intended to call our attention to the issue and humanity of the millions of displaced people across the globe.

Lampposts: Banner 200

As seen in this picture of lamppost “Banner 200”, Ai Weiwei’s New York City exhibition uses existing elements of urban structures as platforms for public art such as lampposts. Displayed on the lamppost are banners of 200 portraits of immigrants and refugees. These double ended banners play are corresponding to the often-ambiguous status of refugees and migrants. The series encompasses many groups of people from various periods and places. The banners portray people from varied backgrounds, however each is presented in the format I believe intentionally to emphasize the immigrants and refugees shared humanities. This specific banner, depicts a refugee from the Dadaab Camp, in Kenya, the world’s largest refugee camp. Ai’s extensive research and visits to refugee camps and national borders around the world have yielded an enormous amount of persuasive documentation. Ai’s remarkable research and awareness of these issues of refugee camps and national borders deserves a noble peace prize in my eyes.
 

If I were to create a public art project that would engage the citizens of New York City I would focus the project around the theme of New York City transportation. I would have interactive installations of New York City bikes, buses, subways, yellow cabs etc. spread citywide. By having these installations, it will raise awareness of how we have changed from a rural place to urban society. The goal is to make people stop and acknowledge and appreciate the incredibly diverse modes of transportation throughout New York City. I would have a statue with a short history description of each vehicle placed next to a waiting areas. For example, I would place a bus statue with a short history description near many bus stops, a subway statue with a short history description near many subways stops and a bike statue with a short history description near many subways stops etc. This theme will engage New York City residence and tourist to seek the most efficient modes of transportation and to seek ambitions and innovations. Situated on many lampposts will be the faces of Larl Benz (invented the car), Pierre Lallement (invented the bicycle), Alfred Ely Beach (invented NYC Subway), Blaise Pascal (invented the bus), John Steven (invented the ferry). These innovative role models will be paired with inspirational quotes such as: “It’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen.”, “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower”, “One way to keep momentum going is to have constantly greater goals” etc. These inspiration quotes on innovation will seek to continue to make New York City a better and more efficient city. Lastly, I would collect traffic lights that correspond to each mode of transportation and put them all together to create one huge installation. On each traffic light will be the color green with a description under the installation saying, “New York City it’s your time to go”.

Andrew Langer