Yulia Hanansen Mosaic Sphere Studio: mosaics in Ann Arbor, MI

Project Proposals : Queens Plaza Station (MTA, New York City)

Concept
The Queens Plaza subway station is a portal to one of the most culturally diverse boroughs in New York City. Along with modern American culture, dozens of other cultures share the same neighborhood. While some people know a great deal about these cultures and are their active members, some of us never get a chance to be acquainted with traditions different from our own. In the turbulence of recent events, it is important for the future that all of us learn about each other’s cultural backgrounds.

I would like to dedicate my mosaic to the multiple cultures in Queens and the people who represent them. I propose a project solely composed of musical instruments that belong to different cultures. Music, being a universal language, creates a common ground for learning and understanding each other’s traditions. Depicting an orchestra comprised of musical instruments from all over the world, this mosaic also propagates unity and respect for all people who have contributed their cultural values to the Queens community.

Design
Since the project will occupy 5 walls, I divided my concept into 3 subthemes:
1.Musical Instruments: Sites 1, 2, & 3 are located at the same space. They depict musical instruments:

Site 1: wind instruments (horns, trumpets, whistles, etc.)
Site 2: string instruments
Site 3: drums and percussion instruments


wind instruments	string instruments	drum instruments

2.Modern American Culture: Site 5 represents modern American culture--a result of the merging of different cultures. Electric guitar and microphones symbolize electronic music. The paint bucket drum is a modern interpretation of traditional drums. No matter if it’s a guitar, saxophone, or a paint bucket, people will always dance to the rhythm of music, as they dance in this composition.

3.Merging of Cultures: Site 4, the longest wall, is dedicated to the music (sound) of the subway train. It is depicted visually by the shape of a sound wave sampled from an operating subway car. This sound serves as a metaphor for the merging of cultures that are represented in Queens. Knowing their own cultural music, people also know one common sound, that everybody can recognize, the sound of a train.

(Optional) To further raise awareness and educate viewers, one could include metal plaques adjacent to the mosaic compositions, identifying the various musical instruments and their origins.

Note on Design and Materials
The presented design is a preliminary rendering of my concept. Depending on the final budget, it is possible to decrease the amount of detail and to do different color rendering. The background may be left white. The sound wave details on Site 4 can be simplified to general shapes.

For more info contact: (734) 769-8478, e-mail at: yhanansen@mosaicsphere.com