We chose a subway because it’s one place in New York where everyone ends up eventually. It’s crowded, loud, unreliable, sometimes disgusting, but it’s also real. There’s no version of New York without the MTA. We wanted to show that side of the city without romanticizing it.
AS YOU CAN TELL, we didn’t try to make the subway look cleaner or happier than it is. We built it the way people actually experience it: tight, loud, rushed, and basically unavoidable.
We built this board to show how the subway isn’t just a way to get from place to place, it’s a space that actually reflects New York culture. The art and poetry we included are real pieces from MTA installations, and we chose them because people pass them every day without really seeing them. But they matter. They change how the city feels
We wanted to highlight how public art makes the commute feel less mechanical and more human. Even if you’re tired, late, annoyed, or packed into a train, there’s still color, language, and imagination around you. It’s easy to overlook, but it shapes how millions of people experience the city.
Subway occupants (left to right): Justin Beal (architect and MHC 100 professor), The Grinch, Zohran Mamdani, LeBron James (sorry for not putting Jalen Brunson), Jake from Subway Surfers, Big Justice (he brings the boom), Bernie Sanders, Jay Guapo (NYC troll on TikTok), and Curtis Sliwa (got shot in the back of a yellow cab by the order of the Gottis and Gambinos in 1992)
Our project helped us to understand exactly where art intersects in daily New York life: public transit. New York City's public transit system is one of the city's many features that differentiate it from other American cities, and the art it holds is seen by billions of people each year. Often, art is restricted to museums or private exhibitions, but the MTA Poetry in Motion project allows anyone at any time to appreciate incredible artistry and writing.
