Nick Cave Mosaics – Each One, Every One, Equal All at the Times Square Subway Station
Each One, Every One, Equal All is a stunning mosaic installation by Nick Cave that covers nearly 4,600 square feet in the Times Square subway station on 42nd Street. The largest mosaic in the New York City’s subway system, the installation was unveiled over a year from 2021 through 2022. These Nick Cave mosaics were fabricated by Mayer of Munich, this series is a compilation of 3 series of mosaics of Nick Cave’s wearable sculpture works Soundsuits, which are elaborate costumes made from a diverse range of materials such as twigs, feathers, and beads designed to create a unique sound when the wearer moves. The series add up to a vibrant 4,600 square feet of colorful mosaic in the Times Square Subway Station in and near the 42nd Street Connector between Times Square and Bryant Park stations.
The first part of the installation, Every One, was unveiled in 2021 in the corridor that connects Bryant Park subway station to the Times Square subway station. The mosaic runs 360 linear feet and covers over 3,200 square feet, including more than two dozen Soundsuits, some larger than life and bursting with joy. This was soon joined by Each One and Equal All, adding to the other notable art at the Times Square subway station.
Nick Cave is an American artist who is best known for his Soundsuits, which are wearable fabric sculptures that are often brightly colored and adorned with a variety of materials, including beads, sequins, and feathers. Each Soundsuit is a unique creation that is inspired by a range of cultural traditions, from African ceremonial dress to American folk art. Through his art, Cave aims to explore issues of identity, race, and social justice, while also celebrating the power of creativity and expression. His soundsuits were most recently on display at the Guggenheim Museum in New York.
Each One
Each One is comprised of colorful Soundsuits in various stages of motion and suspension, accentuated by vertical stripes, as a nod to the Times Square ball drop right above the station.
Every One
The first of these, which was unveiled in 2021, was Every One, which is in the corridor that connects Bryant Park subway station to the Times Square subway station.
Equal All
Equal All is an electrifying compilation of 12 Soundsuits that Nick Cave developed from 2005 to 2021, all connected by rings that seem to radiate energy, connecting one with the other.
Nick Cave Soundsuits at the Guggenheim Museum
Nick Cave had an exhibit titled Forothermore at the Guggenheim Museum in NYC from November 2022 through April 2023. The exhibit featured a variety of Cave’s signature sound suits, which were a great addition to the New York art scene after the unveiling of the sound suit mosaics at the Times Square subway station.
The artist’s sound suits are not intended to be merely costumes or fashion statements, but rather to represent a powerful commentary on identity, race, and culture.
While the Nick Cave exhibit at the Guggenheim is over, the glass mosaics are a permanent exhibit at the Times Square subway station, and well worth a visit for the price of a subway ticket.
