Artist Leo Villareal was commissioned by the MTA to create Hive as part of the Arts for Transit initiative, which aims to brighten up the interiors of our notoriously dingy and decrepit subway stations with eye-catching works of art. As you probably were able to surmise, the color-changing LED lightshow is named for its honeycomb shape and also seems to play on the idea that we are all worker bees traveling through a series of tunnels, just like our favorite yellow and black insects do. And if you want to get really cerebral, Villareal says that he also took inspiration from mathematician John Conway, who is known for his work with coding and game theory. Passersby can tap into their inner desire to find meaning and patterns in their surroundings and interact with Hive by identifying individual elements within its larger context.
Want to see Hive for yourself? Head to the Bleeker Street station‘s Uptown-bound 6 track and walk to the southern end of the platform.
Photos © Yuka Yoneda
