9 September 2024
One of the many things that makes New York a world class city is the fact that you can stumble on prolific art in the most seemingly mundane places—including during your morning commute.
If that sounds exciting, you might want to reroute to Penn Station for the next few weeks to gaze at the new large scale sculptures by artists Chitra Ganesh and Eirini Linardaki.
Ganesh's new work was commissioned by Amtrak and it is called Regeneration. It features natural elements created in a graphic style that evokes comic books. The plants depicted have deep spiritual significance: the Welwitschia, for example, represents resilience in some southern African cultures. The sculpture also features some plants that you might find in New York City, like dandelions and irises.
Through the artwork, Ganesh seeks, "to remind viewers of the vibrant life that thrives in nature, and to reconnect them with elements that transcend the limitations of humanity, ultimately encouraging a regeneration of perspective and a reset of both the mental and the physical," according to an official statement.
Linardaki's work, on the other hand, pays homage to the people who make Penn Station run day in and day out. The Greek-French artist photographed some of the station's workers, including electricians, cleaning personnel and train conductors, and features them in the exhibition, Working Background. Linardaki was inspired by the nearby Garment District and used fabrics that calls out to some of the clothing she saw commuters wear in the station to create large-scale mural panels depicting the workers.
The homage was informed by her own upbringing: Linardaki's dad worked as a bus driver and, as a child, she spent long hours riding in his bus. Her intimate knowledge of the inner lives of transit workers is palpable at first glance.
The two new works of art are part of a series called "Art at Amtrak," curated and produced by Debra Simon Art Consulting. The program launched in June 2022 and has brought some of the most exciting emerging artists to Penn Station and Moynihan Train Hall.
