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The next time you commute through the 42 St-Grand Central Station subway station, make sure to head through the 7 train entrance at 42nd Street/3rd Avenue to see a new, incredibly intricate and colorful glass mural that will take your breath away.
“Abstract Futures” by Hilma’s Ghost (artist duo Sharmistha Ray and Dannielle Tegeder) and fabricated by Miotto Mosaic Art Studios is a 600-square-foot glass mosaic that is inspired by artist Hilma af Klint. Using abstract motifs and color symbolism, the mural takes a cue from Klint and plays with the idea of “portals” and “journeys” as a metaphor for an individual’s transformation and spiritual development in the city, according to MTA Arts & Design.
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The duo's first project as part of Hilma's Ghost collective was actually a tarot deck also named "Abstract Futures." Roughly 1,500 decks of the kind are still in circulation today, as part of a third edition of the project. As a mural, the re-imagined deck tells New York’s future through symbols that span three segments.
In the first portal, “The Fool” goes to NYC in search of something bigger than itself. In the image, you'll notice the concept of passion represented with reds, oranges and pinks, while a funnel conveys the idea of an upward thrust of energy.
“The mural’s imagery emphasizes the harnessing of creativity, vitality and intuition as they tap into their inner wisdom and drive,” the MTA said.
Then, "The Fool" finds balance and spiritual renewal by confronting change and transformation with tiles in green, ochre and brown. The central image, “The Wheel of Fortune,” shows that they have “come down to earth, feet planted on the ground, to find themselves in the wheel that keeps on turning, in a city where fortunes rise and fall in a single day,” according to the MTA.
Finally, "The Fool" achieves a fuller understanding of themselves and that is represented in two realms—the spiritual and the cosmological planes, represented by the moon and a star and a cosmic sunrise, respectively. Ending the journey with oranges and reds, just as it began, is meant to show that “light returns and symbols of regeneration and rebirth begin the cycle again.”
Definitely take some time during your commute to slow down and take it all in—it’s a vision.
“This mural represents a new way of seeing the city—a journey that is both physical and spiritual,” Tegeder and Ray said in an official statement. “It’s about the connection between people, spaces and time, and intended to provide a powerful reflection of what New York represents to us all. The city is at once a sprawling metropolis with millions of people, but also a dynamic network of interconnectivity. As we make our way through a single day in New York, we connect with so many people from so many walks of life. It is that diversity that is what makes New York so special.”