Update: Insane Underground Art Project Revealed

The mysterious Underbelly Project is making the rounds online today. According to its site, somewhere in NYC there's an abandoned subway station, "unfinished, unused and undiscovered." Starting in 2009, 103 artists were secretly escorted into the space to create works of art, encompassing installations, paintings, aerosol, murals and more. Each artist was given one full night to work on their piece. At the end of the project, the original entrance to the station was removed.

There is a major feature on the hard-to-locate illegal project in The Sunday Times (paywall); the writer was brought into the space by the show's curators, who go by Workhorse and PAC. They describe part of their manifesto:

People were going out and literally sawing walls in half to steal Banksy pieces. Electrical panels were being ripped off leaving live wires exposed that had Shepard Fairey stencils on them. It was commercialism at its worst. Early in the street-art years, I relished the ability to feel like I was my own island. The Underbelly was our way of feeling like we were an island again. We finally had a space in the world that collectors couldn’t contaminate. A space that couldn’t be bought.

RWK Street Spot got to see the project, and wrote:

Stepping into the station was like stepping into a space outside of time. Utterly devoid of light, there was no way to mark the passage of time except for the occasional dull roar of a train in the distance. I had only a flashlight to light my way, yet it only barely cut into the inky blackness of the station. The air was cool and damp. My every step kicked up swirls of the rail dust that blanketed every surface. If it hadn't been for the reassuring presence of familiar art adorning the walls, I might have quickly succumbed to the illusion that I'd arrived amidst the remnants of a forgotten city.

According to LTV Squad, some of the artists who participated include Sane, Swoon, Roa, Mark Jenkins, TrustoCorp, Posterchild. Demer, Jice, F5, Smells, Cash4, and many more.

According to a subway graffiti expert we spoke with, it could be the abandoned station under the South 4th Street stop in Williamsburg, or possibly under the Shell station at Utica Ave. and Fulton Street. You can see more exclusive photos of the project here.

Update: We spoke to a subway stations expert, who wrote: "I agree it looks like IND construction, but I can't tell which it is. I would lean toward South 4th because (1) one piece refers to "the people upstairs" suggesting it's below the open station and (2) that's where the hipsters are." For a slightly different perspective on the project, you can see a short video tour of the installation now on the NY Times website.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Ben Yakas in Arts & Entertainment on October 31, 2010 7:15 PM

Comments [rss]

Guest

Good luck

It's either Fulton or S. 4th

How to find them:

http://www.columbia.edu/~brenn...

François

une grotte de Lascaux du 21ème siècle !!!

Ritwik

I am an out-of-towner. And as I can see from several comments here, out-of-towners are to be hated. I am, in fact, an out-of-country'er too. Probably going to be kicked around for just that. But let me say a few things anyway. About two years ago, I came to New York. From back in my city half-way across the world, my current residence seemed just a hop away from New York City. I was, of course, wrong. Long Island is a really long island, and I've learned it the hard way. I visit the city mostly on weekends, and I've not seen the Empire State building or the Statue of Liberty in my 30 or so visits. What I was hoping to see in New York was a certain sense of freedom, a certain sense of being unbounded, unrestricted. And I was sad to not see it. Perhaps I wasn't looking at the right places, or perhaps that freedom did not exist any more. But, if it exists, it's there in this city, and nowhere else. The underbelly project is the first instance where I get a hope; a hope that what I am looking for in this city is alive and thriving; it's not a long-dead myth. I have immense respect for this city based on what I think this city stands for. The underbelly project does incredible justice to that belief. In the world of art, very often the rebel overshadows the message, and the message loses its beauty; but not here. This is perhaps the best example of contemporary anti-commercial art (or at least non-commercial art) I have seen in my entire life.

P.S. When I say "seen", I mean on galleries online.

Analogist1

Anyone that paints over another artists work is a jerkoff that has no respect for himself or anyone else. No execuses.

LibHater

went down tonight and almost all of the pieces are toyed up..only a few pieces were left untouched

TheTallKid

Anyone else chuckle hardily when they realized this all takes place underneath an NYPD precinct?

potsmoker

yeah, the book with behind the scenes dvd is coming soon.

thanks for blowing up the spot, graffiti artists have managed to do way more, im sad that smith (sane rip) took part in this disaster, as if mr smith needs tight pants wearing hipsters to show him a tunnel spot.

oh yeah looking at some ofthe links, smith works for the MTA,

great job dry snitching his employer out.

esp since the mta nypd and various mayors have called for his prosecution,

delarge

Insane Underground Art Project. Is that what we call the complete disrespect and revealing of a secret space these days? Sorry, but this show is a serious contradiction. It's aim was to create a show out of reach of the art world.. but they seem to have collected serious documentation of everything that happened while they went down and then some... Which means it will eventually materialize into a book or documentary.. or both, which will be sold, which means the art is exchanging hands with money. I can go on forever. Like a previous poster said before, some of the art is beyond impressive, but doesn't belong down there.

That's why it was destroyed to shit.

I've never wished prosecution on anyone before in my life but I hope the people responsible for putting this show together get in some kind of trouble... this show was an atrocity to New York City.

Boooooooooooo!

Tempogain

Maybe one subway station looks more or less like another, dunno, but the photo here http://www.wgpa.us/2008/09/south-fourth.html looks a lot like one in the Times.

silver

Nothing like graffiti punks wearing MTA Vests and hardhats to avoid the cops.

roark

what a publicity stunt. it's just like when those two old farts from wooster collective wanted to feel young and took over the candle building with no respect to its history. not much street points but a whole crapload of hipster points. but, at least they got some real writers in here this time. the art is actually pretty cool and the motive is compelling, but why do street artist always got to pat themselves on the back. the first thing they do when they finished was run to the media. way to blow up a spot guys. the whole reason you were able to pull this off is because writers don't blow up spots.

SimpleMan

The art is beyond great and innovative. But these so called "street artists", belong on the streets. Half the "artists" down there, would not have stepped foot in a tunnel if it were not for some hipster telling them it was okay. keep your street art on the street, the tunnels of new york city are sacred grounds. Out of towners have already taken over most of the street art scene in new york, no complaints. but with new york city subway tunnels, a line must be drawn.

Brainwash

What planet are you from?

SimpleMan

Planet Earth, specifically New York City. So if your bringing in your poppy street art into the city, make sure your not destroying the essence of the secret infrastructure that lies beneath the STREETS! Some people don't belong in some places, let alone deserve to be in the presence of such a timeless location... all for some documentary, money, and unappreciated fame.

SlappyJ

That's great, what was a pristine abandoned station has now been messed up by some assholes and their paint.

hotstepper

thank you Strom Thurmond!

whirlybird

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfdF5rSrVbc

Ohjeez

Hey Gothamist don't be an asshole and post more about the specific location. It's hidden for a reason.

Jake Dobkin

We're working on this. From a publishing point of view, we'd like to be able to update the ads a few times in each gallery, but updating on each pageview isn't good for the experience, or for looking at the ads. So it's on our list of tech improvements.

hotstepper

mystery, trespassing, rail dust, art. very cool.

Gothamist -- still waiting for a pic viewer that doesn't require a friggin page reload!!