Yayoi Kusama and Kiki Smith will fill New York’s new train terminal with art

Both will cover approximately 223 square meters of New York Central Station with their art, and the largest mosaic will be more than 100 feet long, the New York Times announced Friday.

New York is the connection point for both artists, with usually different styles: Smith’s works are generally monochromatic or bronze, while those of Kusama are dominated by bright colors.

Smith, a 68-year-old American of German descent and raised in New Jersey, has lived in New York since 1976 and 93-year-old Japanese Kusama lived in the big city from 1958 to 1975.

“They had to be high-level artists,” said Janno Lieber, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), in an interview with the New York Times, noting that the art on display must “match the caliber of the aspirations of the installation”.

For her part, Sandra Bloodworth, director of MTA Arts & Design, told the media that with their art these women will transform the subway terminal into a “cultural corridor”.

“The project is about connecting people to the city in a new way and the artwork will connect you in a different and more ephemeral way,” added Bloodworth.

Smith and Kusama were chosen by a committee of arts professionals and transit authority staff in 2020, following an open call.

The new terminal began in 2006, will have 65,032 square feet and cost the MTA more than $ 11,000 million, according to the tabloid.

The projects that will cover New York’s underground are still secret, but Smith has announced that his works will be linked “to the beauty of the coasts of Long Island and the East River”.

“I created this work with the aim of giving people a beautiful image to carry with them,” he noted.