A kaleidoscope of colorful glass fragments now greets commuters passing through the Grand Central-42nd Street subway station into Grand Central Terminal. The massive public art installation titled  I dreamed a world and called it Love was created by contemporary artist Jim Hodges. The new piece provides commuters with an opportunity to pause and reflect during a hurried commute to and from the train terminal. You can see the massive glass sculpture for yourself when you join Untapped New York for an upcoming tour of the Secrets of Grand Central Terminal!
I dreamed a world and called it Love (2020) © Jim Hodges, NYC Transit Grand Central-42 St. Station. Commissioned by MTA Arts & Design. Photo by David Regen. Courtesy of the artist and Gladstone Gallery, New York and Brussels
Hodges’ mirrored-glass sculpture is made of more than 5,000 individually cut pieces of glass in more than 70 different colors. Varying shades of blue on the upper landing play off of the colors found on Grand Central’s celestial main concourse ceiling. On the lower concourse, the blues mix with splashes of green, vibrant yellows, deep purples, and translucent whites to create a swirling camouflage mosaic that is mesmerizing to look at. The rainbow of colors contrasts the black granite of the newly renovated subway entrance and the pale stone walls of the historic terminal. In a statement, Hodges’ said his desire “was to rise to the occasion of the historic context of Grand Central Terminal and celebrate the people who give New York its identity for many years to come.”
I dreamed a world and called it Love (2020) © Jim Hodges, NYC Transit Grand Central-42 St. Station. Commissioned by MTA Arts & Design. Photo by David Regen. Courtesy of the artist and Gladstone Gallery, New York and Brussels
Located above the escalators that connect the Grand Central subway station with the train terminal, Hodges’ sculpture measures more than 700-square-feet. This iteration of I dreamed a world and called it Love builds upon Hodges’ 2016 exhibition of the same name at Gladstone Gallery. To create the piece, Hodges’ studio worked with a team of fabricators, architects, engineers, contractors, installers and public arts administrators. The site-specific installation is intended to “provide a momentary illumination, a split second of image and color that frames the moment in time between places,” Hodges said.
I dreamed a world and called it Love (2020) © Jim Hodges, NYC Transit Grand Central-42 St. Station. Commissioned by MTA Arts & Design. Photo by David Regen. Courtesy of the artist and Gladstone Gallery, New York and Brussels
Take a look at the massive glass sculpture in-person when you join us for an upcoming tour of the Secrets of Grand Central Terminal led by one of Untapped New York’s expert guides!
Next, check out 10 New Public Art Installations in NYC January 2021 and “Prismatica,” Giant Illuminated Prisms in the Garment District
