MTA – Xenobia Bailey, “Funktional Vibrations”
La metropolitana diventa un tempio di colore e ritmo
In the heart of New York, the subway becomes a temple of color and rhythm.
At the 34th Street – Hudson Yards station, artist Xenobia Bailey has transformed the urban space into an explosion of visual energy with her monumental work Funktional Vibrations.
Inspired by Afro-American culture and “funk” aesthetics, the artwork celebrates vitality and everyday creativity through a language of circular forms and chromatic vibrations that evoke music, spirituality, and rebirth.
The original design by Xenobia Bailey was translated into mosaic by Miotto Mosaic Art Studios and Travisanutto Mosaics Srl, in collaboration with Mosaici Donà Murano, which supplied the precious glass enamels and gold tesserae handcrafted on the island of Murano.
The Venetian glass tiles, melted and cut by hand, form more than 350 square meters of mosaic, enveloping the station’s walls and vaults in a vortex of light. Each fragment tells of the meeting between contemporary art and the centuries-old Murano tradition — a dialogue between New York and Venice, between urban energy and artisanal perfection.
Funktional Vibrations is not only a public artwork; it’s an immersive experience — a visual symphony accompanying travelers on their daily journeys, reminding them that even in the most ordinary spaces, beauty can be born.