It was just before 1 p.m., and the long, loathsome 14th Street pedestrian subway tunnel that runs between 6th and 7th Avenues tingled with its typical crowd-pleasing ambience. Gum stuck to the ceiling, a wide-eyed man with a guitar belted "All My Lovin'" in double time with a giant grin that seemed very out of tune with the miserable surroundings. Trashcans overflowed. It smelled, as always, like musty rat with notes of french fries and urine.
Photographer Ruvan Wijesooriya (of LCD Soundsystem fame) hates this tunnel, which allows commuters to transfer between the 1/2/3 and F lines, just as much as you do, which is why he decided to create a public art piece there earlier today. Titled #LoveTunnel, the project enlisted some 30 volunteers to post hundreds of photographs of flowers, kissing couples, hearts, and a few amazing cats (all taken by Wijesooriya over the past few years) to the tunnel's wall, and inviting passing straphangers to take a few home with them.
"It's one of the most annoying walkways," Wijesooriya said. "Typically, all that's up in it are ads. Ads don't aim to be beautiful or experiential; hopefully this will be interactive and fun."
How did passing New Yorkers react? Kayla, a 7-year-old girl, told us she thought the project was "cool." She plucked a heart off the wall "because it's a heart," and plans to give it to her mom.
Kayla makes her pick. (Ben Miller/Gothamist)
Gali, a student, uses the walkway a lot, and echoed our universal hatred of it: "It's the worst of all the transfers...it's never-ending. But this made it unexpected and cool." "I'm usually flying through here," said a young man named Yoni. "Other than the smell, or the crazy music, I don't pay attention. I think it's great to have art, not just ad posters. It makes you slow down a bit, which is always good in the city."
Wijesooriya seemed pleased with the audience's response, strolling in front of the photos to take pictures of people taking pictures of his pictures (the singularity approaches) and chatting with passersby. One, Orli, summed it up the best: "This made my day...it made me so happy. Thank you."
