When New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) started its Arts for Transit program in 1985, I'm sure no one had in mind its newest addition: Leo Villareal's Hive. It is a permanent installation that lies underneath Bleecker Street. Comprised of LED tubes, aluminum, and stainless steel, Hive is meant to be as durable as a mosaic, which is the traditional form of art displayed by MTA.
As seen in the video above, Hive creates a network of fluctuating lights and patterns (as well as obvious breaks in the patterns, which are probably the most memorable parts of the patterns...what makes them identifiable as such). According to Villareal, the patterns take inspiration from John Conway, the inventor of the Game of Life. If I didn't know better I would think this was Tokyo rather than NYC, and this seems to be a giant step towards a more contemporary direction for the Arts for Transit program.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please send your feedback!