The Subway is not (only) an Art Gallery: A Critical Analysis of Union Station's Zones of Immersion Main Menu

Background

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Installed during the Union Station Platform upgrades of the late 2000’s to mid 2010’s, Zones of Immersion functions as a glass dividing wall between the Yonge and University subway lines in Toronto. The seven by five hundred foot glass mural spans the entire length of both platforms with figurative sketches of TTC passengers layered with large swaths of colour and handwritten cursive poetry occasionally overlaid with a text version. Some of the poetry is tied to a specific piece while some are Reid's musings on the collective experience of public transit. 
 The piece was selected out of 48 responses to a Request for Proposal which was promoted beginning on June 7th, 2007 on the Commission’s website. Through the two-stage decision process, Zones of Immersion was selected as the optimal choice by an unnamed jury. With the understanding that the piece would evolve through its creation, Reid expressed in his proposal that Zones of Immersion will honour the “collective experience” of public transit. Drawing from his own experiences on the subway,

“the sounds, the vibrations, the patterns of darkness and light, the changing rhythms or speeds….everything from rush hour crush to sports event crowds to the way kids gaggle together and fool around”
(Reid qtd. in Toronto Transit Commission Report)


Reid’s aim was for the work to depict experiences which are “universally recognizable” as it “transcends cultural pluralities.” Below, find photos of several key portions of Zones of Immersion.

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  1. The Subway is not (only) an Art Gallery: A Critical Analysis of Union Station's Zones of Immersion Madeleine Korn
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  1. Background

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