Mosaics in Motion

Vibrant characters appear to dance across the walls of a New York City subway tunnel, pictured above and below. The artist Nick Cave, below, used many pieces of colorful glass to make the mosaics. Cave is a sculptor, dancer, and performance artist. His performances feature dancers in “Soundsuits.” These are full-body wearable sculptures Cave makes using hair, feathers, fiber from raffia palm plants, and other found materials.

In Every One, shown here, Cave re-creates his Soundsuits as two-dimensional mosaics, capturing the movement and energy of one of his performances. First, he and his team photographed performers moving in Soundsuits. They printed the photos at life-size for reference. Then they cut colorful pieces of glass. They arranged and glued the glass shards onto a mesh backing, capturing each figure’s expressive pose. Finally, the team attached the mesh to the long tunnel walls, transforming the station.

Every One is one of three mosaics Cave will install in New York City. He intends for them to mirror the city’s dynamic energy. “We are not only spectators,” he says. “We’re also part of the performance.”