Metro Art’s Exhibition and Catalog 'Deep Connections' is a Unique Peak into Metro Tunneling and Los Angeles City-Building History
Target Audience: The primary audience is Metro patrons, employees, regional rail riders and other transit customers that travel through Union Station. Additionally, the series connects with and celebrates Metro rail construction workers over the years that can enjoy this multi-decade exhibit on tunneling. This series also has a wider reach in an online gallery and catalog, where it is capturing the interest of the broader general public. It has potential to inspire transportation, construction and transit careers. The series also reassures the public that Metro's work continues in earnest during the pandemic, and can build hope for civic infrastructure at a time it is much needed, as Metro expands and creates construction jobs, helping bring rail to new populations and rebuild economically post-pandemic.
Strategy Objective:Deep Connections was published as a series of life-size, museum-quality prints, along with didactics and a free catalog, interweaving arts and transit storytelling to elevate commutes into delightful, provocative journeys. Karagozian continues to shoot with film, using existing light to document this niche construction work, resulting in images both gritty and enchanting. At times surreal with human forms juxtaposed against gigantic machines, Deep Connections shares aspects of underground construction few know and portraits of the hardworking people building Metro's system. Over the years, one can also see advances in tunneling in the body of work, such as innovations in tunnel boring machines, new tunnel lining segments, improved safety standards and more inclusive and diverse workforces
Situation Challenge: Deep Connections shares Metro construction over three decades from the unique perspective of one artist, Ken Karagozian. Metro Art had fortunate opportunity to collaborate with Karagozian and access this intensive passion project, over 10,000+ photographs and still growing collection of LA's rail building starting at its infancy. A selection black and white negatives were scanned, formatted and printed as large three panel lightboxes (9'Wx5'H), in highly trafficked Union Station from summers 2020 to 2021. The exhibit allows riders to visually step into these atmospheric spaces, traveling through both time and locations to see this often-hidden work happening under their local neighborhoods. A catalog was published showcasing additional text and curated images from this distinctive series.
Results Impact: Deep Connections builds awareness of Metro transit construction, and a sense of pride for past and present Metro employees and contractors. It has a wide reach in Union Station, the largest rail station in the western US that serves 110,000+ passengers daily (pre-COVID). The artwork activates the passageway for an improved ridership experience on a scale that provides immersive and welcoming visual interest. It generates a sense of wonder and greater appreciation for the complexity of transit tunneling, which often takes years. Deep Connections has been featured in local TV and newspapers and has received numerous online interactions. The online gallery and catalog provide reach beyond the station, a deeper look into the exhibit, and an archival document to share digitally and physically.
Why Submit: What was intended by the artist to be a single day of photography access to an above ground Metro Red Line construction site expanded into this multi-decade, underground visual love-story. Karagozian, inspired by the dedication and craftsmanship of the workers and complexity of tunneling, continues to pursue timeless images that share his insight into this world. He has built friendships and connections with generations of workers. His uplifting images have portrayed fathers and sons, mothers and sons, brothers, apprentices and trainees passing on the skilled trades. Deep Connections is a high-quality exhibition that demonstrates how artists can share history and inspire conversation. It is a beautiful insight into what can be dirty, chaotic, challenging, and often unseen work.