The next two locations I visited were the Sphere in the One World Trade Center and “Memories of 23rd St.” at the 23rd and 3rd street Subway station. I have begun to focus a lot on subway art and the tension between how much New Yorkers use the subway and how the art installations throughout the subway system are appreciated.

The Sphere, located in Liberty Park, survived the collapse of the twin towers during 9/11. Recovered from the rubble, it was quite damaged, but still intact. Before being moved to the World Trade Center, it was stored near a hangar at John F. Kennedy International Airport and was the subject of the 2001 documentary Koenig’s Sphere.

The “Memories of 23rd St.” at the 23rd and 3rd street subway station lies the work of Keith Godard. The hats are those of past residents or visitors to the area, specifically those of the famed Chelsea Hotel—the hats range from those of historian and activist W. E. B. Dubois to former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt.  The hats are of varying distances above the ground—reflecting the heights of the individuals that would’ve worn them decades ago.