Via Gothamist comes word of Jason Eppink’s public art installation in the subways: Take a Seat. Explains the artists:
Take a Seat is an ongoing series of public furniture installations aimed at increasing the availability of seating options in New York City subway stations. Perfectly functional chairs are rescued from trash piles and reassigned to stations where limited seating options leave subway patrons no choice but to stand for extended periods of time…
More than 5 million riders pass through the New York City Subway system every day, sometimes waiting as long as an hour or more for their trains. Unfortunately, benches intended for waiting passengers are sparse and inadequate, leaving many riders standing. According to NYC MTA’s founders, “the subway should be an inviting and pleasant environment, geared to the user, with the highest levels of design and materials.” I agree! What is more pleasant than sitting while waiting for your train?
So the next time you’re in the subway, bemoaning a lack of seats, just go grab your own and take a load off.
Photo via Jason Eppink on flickr.
6 comments
I’m not sure I like the flea market quality of this. The artists are basically stating that the MTA is too poor to invest in new furniture. While the MTA’s sad financial situation is no secret, it really loses face by agreeing with suggestions that it is so poor it should reuse other peoples’ trash.
What if someone gets mad or goes crazy and starts throwing the chairs onto the tracks or at trains?
Lots of furniture every day is thrown away in NYC because of BEDBUGS. Not sure if you know but there’s an epidemic. Don’t take any furniture off the street and use it – they attach to your clothes and then transplant themselves into your house. As much as I’d love to take a load off while waiting for a train, it’s just not worth it.
I bought chairs for my kitchen a couple of years ago and brought them home on the subway. I sat in the middle of the car.
Also is this accurate?:
Who is waiting an hour or more for a subway train? Are they waiting for a particular T/O?!
Clever, cute and well-intentioned — but these things are going to end up on the tracks and will cause problems.
I love art, especially the art of this city. This makes me uneasy.