PARACITE STUDIOS Boston T Project

This project gives different perspectives and touches on subjects surrounding the "T" subway system and overall Boston. The plan for all ten domes (only four complete) is to plant them around different train stations around the city. The dome is only visible through the clear "T," which reveals the inner design with a QR code (not yet implemented) leading to the brand website. Hiding behind the T logo also fits into the theme of integrating into a system with an alternative, parasitic agenda. The 4 domes shown represent the following areas:
1. Alewife: This dome represents a tomb of two friends that were victims of gun violence in my city, and how it affected me.
2. South Boston: South Station is the most trafficked station in the MBTA system, with the commuter rail and many other connections passing through. While working at the Institute of Contemporary Art in a past summer, I took the train to and from South Station most days. South Station is the closest station to the seaport where the ICA is located, and shares similar themes of extreme manicuration of the once gritty and authentic land and communities. Over the last 5+ years, the Boston Seaport has transitioned to a sea of unflattering, shiny highrise apartments occupied by wealthy young settlers. It's a fake reality with little soul to it, as the glass buildings start to feel plastic. The dome is painted to blend in, contrasting the inside which consists of a shattered glass mess with fake-painted nails scattered throughout.
3. Central Square: A migration capital in my city, shown by animal silhouettes moving in unison. The pink shell represents the layer of cultural security and pride one brings with them when joining a new community. "SOUL FOOD" gives light to the wonderful ethnic food that is cherished in that part of Cambridge.
4. Downtown: This dome will be planted at Park Street Station in downtown Boston. Formerly known as "Tremont Street Subway," this station was the United States' first-ever subway tunnel. This station was the beginning of the web known as the MBTA, which is the theme for this piece. The dome is wrapped in string color coordinated to the four main MBTA train lines. The inner backdrop of the capsule represents the wear and tear of the 126-year-old tunnel, while still being the woven strings that hold Boston together. With all the domes, experimenting with light is crucial to its presentation and functionality. The string wrapping allows the capsules to digest enough light for the inner work to be visible while looking through the T window.