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gizmodo.com: Last week a train twinkling with LED lights chugged into Oakland's 16th Street Station, its final destination on a 3,000 mile, ten-city whistle stop art happening orchestrated by Doug Aitken called Station to Station.
What a cool happening! I hope that seeing something like this might make people think about train travel more, like the author mused. I too would get on that train in a heartbeat! I had never really rode on a train until I was living in Japan. There it's really easy to travel by train -- you can take the Sinkansen (high speed bullet train) across the whole country! It was the most enjoyable way to travel that I've ever experienced. The trains were fast, clean, and comfortable. You had access to food, drinks, and clean bathrooms. I would much rather spend an extra few hours on a train than go to the airport and get on a plane, dealing with layovers, security, waiting waiting waiting! There is something so romantic about train travel, especially how it used to be. Seeing these images of some of the old cars from the 50s is so great! I wish trains still held that glamor and that it wasn't such a hassle to find routes, etc. Now-a-days it's usually more expensive to ride a train…and they aren't as up-kept as one would hope. I've always thought it would be amazing to have high-speed trains in the US to get from NYC to Florida or Seattle to L.A…or maybe someday across the country? I think it could serve to connect people to people, and people to the land again. Lets make travel glamorous again!
I can definitely see the author's Idea of a classy train with on board artists being a big success. I would love to go on such a train. At the risk of sounding cliché I think this could do very well running up and down the Oregon coast with a home in Portland. The classic train with modern art style is a sure hit with the hipsters. It's interesting to think of travel as a destination in and of it's self. That's not really how we think about plans or cars or subways, but I think it could be a new way of thinking about trains. From what I hear, there are many classy trains in Europe that are far more comfortable than the ones we have on this side of the pond.
The main thing that I worry could stop this from becoming a hit is that trains cost a lot to run and keep functional. Maybe if someone can find a way of doing something like this all year round and still make some money it can really get going. We will have to wait and see.
This is definitely a train ride I would want to take. The idea of putting installation art in a train is just a really cool idea. It is definitely the attraction of many hipsters as the article says but I think more then just that crowd would be interested in this experience. If they turned this installation art into a passenger train I would definitely buy a ticket. It would turn the journey into such an experience you wouldn't even be thinking about the destination anymore.
I almost went to this when it came to Pittsburgh but they were sold out. I think this is a phenomenal idea. It makes it so that people all over the country have access to new and exciting work by unique artists and it gives a place for artists to mingle and work on each others pieces. I would love to be a passenger or an artist on this train. Also this dynamic really changes audience and creator interactions, all of the artists are viewing and creating work at the same time.
On another note: trains are just the best, the one from Oakland to LA is beautiful and it fallows a track and coast area that you can't see any other way. Amtrack is usually very clean and their employees are really nice and always try to save you money. There is no security like the airport and you can always return your ticket for a refund. People should ride trains more frequently.
I've never really traveled anywhere by train but this makes it look so much more appealing. I feel like this should become a common occurrence where vintage trains across the country would have artists in residence and they would travel from station to station bringing art to the people and hosting workshops to increase arts awareness.
It's not just the art that makes the trip interesting, it is the style of the trains. Growing up watching Harry Potter, I imagined all trains were still like the Hogwarts express but when I took the commuter train from my town into chicago, I was disappointed by the old, drab insides. I'm sure actual trains (the kind that go more than 50 miles) are a little more special but they are still no vintage train with mahogany panels and velvet curtains.
Having never taken a train for more than two hours, this is definitely a train that I would board for such a long trip. Its no surprise that this train was a hipster haven given the large amount of art it brings. The most interesting part of this art project to me is that it is almost always in the move stopping only in cities on its path to Oakland. this means that anybody on this train is literally a part of the artwork. Another interesting part of this project is that while most installation pieces must be broken down when going from city to city, this one does not.
I think this train really redefines how people travel and what travel means to modern society. Trains are a form of mass transit that has almost gone extinct in the last century due to automobiles. People don't see the use for trains when you can get to the same place in a more comfortable manner by car. However, as times change and cities begin to grow, I think that people will again realize the importance of mass transit. Hopefully this train can act not only as a inspiration, but also as a precedent for future forms of travel.
Why does everything have to have LEDs now? Can someone please tell me that? Anyway, with the current rail system in this country, there will never be much practical incentive to take a train from L.A. to Oakland or anywhere else. I've taken the Coast Starlight from L.A. to Seattle, and it takes TWO DAYS. It's great if you like trains and you spring for the bedroom and you don't have anything to do for TWO DAYS, but it is anything but practical. So making the draw not about practical but about experience, to make the journey the destination is really the only thing that makes sense. Well that, or this (!):
Pneumatic tubes notwithstanding, I am definitely someone who would take longer to get somewhere if the travel provides value in itself. I see some room for our type of business here too. I can imagine a train ride that's immersive like a lot of the make-your-own theatre events that have become so popular. I wonder how much Disney could charge for a thematic train ride from Oakland to DisneyWorld. Not that I'd want to see that special hell, but I know about three million other people who would.
I personally love trains because there's lots of room to walk around and big windows where you can just watch the country fly by. I will admit though that they're not the most practical form of transportation. But not only do I like riding in trains but I also really enjoy watching trains so this art project sounds like i would really enjoy it.
9 comments:
What a cool happening! I hope that seeing something like this might make people think about train travel more, like the author mused. I too would get on that train in a heartbeat! I had never really rode on a train until I was living in Japan. There it's really easy to travel by train -- you can take the Sinkansen (high speed bullet train) across the whole country! It was the most enjoyable way to travel that I've ever experienced. The trains were fast, clean, and comfortable. You had access to food, drinks, and clean bathrooms. I would much rather spend an extra few hours on a train than go to the airport and get on a plane, dealing with layovers, security, waiting waiting waiting! There is something so romantic about train travel, especially how it used to be. Seeing these images of some of the old cars from the 50s is so great! I wish trains still held that glamor and that it wasn't such a hassle to find routes, etc. Now-a-days it's usually more expensive to ride a train…and they aren't as up-kept as one would hope. I've always thought it would be amazing to have high-speed trains in the US to get from NYC to Florida or Seattle to L.A…or maybe someday across the country? I think it could serve to connect people to people, and people to the land again. Lets make travel glamorous again!
I can definitely see the author's Idea of a classy train with on board artists being a big success. I would love to go on such a train. At the risk of sounding cliché I think this could do very well running up and down the Oregon coast with a home in Portland. The classic train with modern art style is a sure hit with the hipsters. It's interesting to think of travel as a destination in and of it's self. That's not really how we think about plans or cars or subways, but I think it could be a new way of thinking about trains. From what I hear, there are many classy trains in Europe that are far more comfortable than the ones we have on this side of the pond.
The main thing that I worry could stop this from becoming a hit is that trains cost a lot to run and keep functional. Maybe if someone can find a way of doing something like this all year round and still make some money it can really get going. We will have to wait and see.
This is definitely a train ride I would want to take. The idea of putting installation art in a train is just a really cool idea. It is definitely the attraction of many hipsters as the article says but I think more then just that crowd would be interested in this experience. If they turned this installation art into a passenger train I would definitely buy a ticket. It would turn the journey into such an experience you wouldn't even be thinking about the destination anymore.
I almost went to this when it came to Pittsburgh but they were sold out. I think this is a phenomenal idea. It makes it so that people all over the country have access to new and exciting work by unique artists and it gives a place for artists to mingle and work on each others pieces. I would love to be a passenger or an artist on this train. Also this dynamic really changes audience and creator interactions, all of the artists are viewing and creating work at the same time.
On another note: trains are just the best, the one from Oakland to LA is beautiful and it fallows a track and coast area that you can't see any other way. Amtrack is usually very clean and their employees are really nice and always try to save you money. There is no security like the airport and you can always return your ticket for a refund. People should ride trains more frequently.
I've never really traveled anywhere by train but this makes it look so much more appealing. I feel like this should become a common occurrence where vintage trains across the country would have artists in residence and they would travel from station to station bringing art to the people and hosting workshops to increase arts awareness.
It's not just the art that makes the trip interesting, it is the style of the trains. Growing up watching Harry Potter, I imagined all trains were still like the Hogwarts express but when I took the commuter train from my town into chicago, I was disappointed by the old, drab insides. I'm sure actual trains (the kind that go more than 50 miles) are a little more special but they are still no vintage train with mahogany panels and velvet curtains.
Having never taken a train for more than two hours, this is definitely a train that I would board for such a long trip. Its no surprise that this train was a hipster haven given the large amount of art it brings. The most interesting part of this art project to me is that it is almost always in the move stopping only in cities on its path to Oakland. this means that anybody on this train is literally a part of the artwork. Another interesting part of this project is that while most installation pieces must be broken down when going from city to city, this one does not.
I think this train really redefines how people travel and what travel means to modern society. Trains are a form of mass transit that has almost gone extinct in the last century due to automobiles. People don't see the use for trains when you can get to the same place in a more comfortable manner by car. However, as times change and cities begin to grow, I think that people will again realize the importance of mass transit. Hopefully this train can act not only as a inspiration, but also as a precedent for future forms of travel.
Why does everything have to have LEDs now? Can someone please tell me that? Anyway, with the current rail system in this country, there will never be much practical incentive to take a train from L.A. to Oakland or anywhere else. I've taken the Coast Starlight from L.A. to Seattle, and it takes TWO DAYS. It's great if you like trains and you spring for the bedroom and you don't have anything to do for TWO DAYS, but it is anything but practical. So making the draw not about practical but about experience, to make the journey the destination is really the only thing that makes sense. Well that, or this (!):
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-08-12/revealed-elon-musk-explains-the-hyperloop
Pneumatic tubes notwithstanding, I am definitely someone who would take longer to get somewhere if the travel provides value in itself. I see some room for our type of business here too. I can imagine a train ride that's immersive like a lot of the make-your-own theatre events that have become so popular. I wonder how much Disney could charge for a thematic train ride from Oakland to DisneyWorld. Not that I'd want to see that special hell, but I know about three million other people who would.
I personally love trains because there's lots of room to walk around and big windows where you can just watch the country fly by. I will admit though that they're not the most practical form of transportation. But not only do I like riding in trains but I also really enjoy watching trains so this art project sounds like i would really enjoy it.
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