Subway Therapy
In light of recent events in regards to the 2016 presidential election, emotions have been flowing in every direction. For a state like New York, their overwhelming response to the election has been extremely negative. Unfortunately, the people of New York seem to be having a extra hard experiencing of letting out their frustrations. According to Forbes.com, the artist who goes by “Levee”, recognized this problem and took it upon himself to help people deal with their emotions. He created an interactive installation by offering Post-It notes to individuals within the subway and having them write their feelings and then place it on the wall. It quickly adopted the title of “Subway Therapy” because it had allowed people to let out their frustrations and emotions in a therapeutic way. When interviewed, Levee was quoted saying, “I brought materials with me so people could express themselves non-verbally, in a peaceful and inclusive space.” He had created a safe opportunity for people to have a voice within their community. He set up his table of materials at the 14th Street station and L subway lines on 6th avenue, but the majority of the three by three colorful square notes were located inside the Union Station in Lower Manhattan.
This art piece was considered to be a form of pop-up art but in my opinion it truly has the qualities of an interactive piece. The act of sharing materials, expressing emotions, and physically placing the Post-It notes on the wall were made be numerous different individuals. The people who took part in this experience were interacting with Levee, their community, and their city. According to Ernest Edmonds’ essay, Interactive Art, art becomes interactive when audience participation is an integral part of the artwork (1). The artist ultimately opens up the final looks of the piece to endure the course that is meant to take place within the artwork itself. What matters most within interactive art is the audience’s behavioral response to the work and their engagement with the piece.
Considering the fact that this art piece was not a permanent installation, I am going to go ahead and assume that the artist didn’t have a specific time frame in mind for how long the piece would truly survive down within the subway system. I believe within the area of pop-up art there is more of an exact time frame for its existence and specific goal for the artwork. Where as, temporary installations can be different. Additionally, this experience could be something that will stick with the participants forever. Therefore, it may physically be temporary, but they were involved in an act of unity in regards to quite a monumental moment in American history, which can and probably will affect them for the rest of their lives in some way or another. As an artist myself I could only imagine the fulfilling feelings of being able to provide an outlet for people to express their emotions through my own artwork. Interactive art truly has the potential to effect people in a countless number or ways.
