Straphangers Lounge
Straphangers Lounge Announces Installation in Times Square
For Immediate Release
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Come sit in a full-scale subway car or stand on a subway platform made entirely out of textiles!
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The Straphangers Lounge—a free interactive textile installation, including a handcrafted life-size subway car, platform wall, and subway signs — will be on display in its entirety January 26th-28th, 2024 at the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square.
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Artists Karima Sundarji and Sue Hunter have created this unique installation. Their work caught the eye of Vogue Knitting, who invited them for the second time to showcase their project in the Artists' Gallery at their Knitting Live conference. Time Out New York wrote about the installation last year.
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The Straphangers Lounge installation is interactive — attendees can sit in chairs, move through the subway car, and view a subway platform with mosaic signs made of various fiber arts. They may even spot the most famous straphanger, Pizza Rat, on the platform.
Sundarji and Hunter began the project by recreating mosaic subway signs in knitting, quilting, and needlepoint. Their work on the subway signs motivated them to expand their view of the subway and create this installation using a variety of textiles and techniques.
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Debuting to high praise at a festival in Kingston, NY in October 2022, the installation was a popular attraction at the event. In May 2023, Sundarji and Hunter presented a virtual program with the New York Transit Museum about their installation.
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The installation has an incredible collection of textile pieces including the classic orange 1970s R46 subway car seats, the nostalgic Dr. Zizmor poster, over a dozen stunning mosaics from various platforms, interesting signage, and versions of the subway map. There are homages to various artists who have created pieces for MTA Arts & Design like Sophie Blackall (Missed Connections poster), Xenobia Bailey (Funktional Vibrations mosaic) and Milton Glaser (Astor Place mosaic).
Open to the public, the Straphangers Lounge installation will be on display at the New York Marriott Marquis,
1535 Broadway, 6th floor, Times Square, New York, NY,
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Friday January 26: 3:00pm-8:00pm
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Saturday January 27: 10:00am-6:30pm
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Sunday January 28: 10:00am-3:00pm
For further information or to setup a personal tour, contact:
Karima Sundarji & Sue Hunter
Co-creators of the Straphangers Lounge
straphangerslounge@gmail.com
Straphangers Lounge website