Yayoi Kusama and Kiki Smith Will Create a Large Mosaic at Grand Central Madison in Manhattan
The new train station will open this December.
New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is about to get the Yayoi Kusama treatment through a new site-specific installation. Made in conjunction with West German-born and longtime New Yorker, Kiki Smith, the upcoming project will be situated at the burgeoning Grand Central Madison — a 700,000-square-foot train concourse that is being built below the historic Grand Central Terminal.
The artwork will consist of a large-scale mosaic that Kusama and Smith were specially commissioned to create, having gone through a rigorous vetting process. “Public art is a staple of this city, and we are excited to bring it to the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) for all New Yorkers to enjoy during their commute,” said New York’s governor Kathy Hochul in a statement.
Although the cost of the artwork has not been disclosed, the commission falls under the $11b USD initiative that was formerly known as East Side Access. By December, Grand Central Madison will run alongside Madison Avenue from 43rd Street to 48th Street — boasting eight tracks, which can service up to 24 trains per hour and four platforms on two new levels below the existing lower level of Grand Central Terminal.
Elsewhere, Kellen Hatanaka challenges the perception of Asian identity in new exhibition.
