psychylustro

How can a train ride become a voyage of the imagination? In spring 2014, contemporary artist Katharina Grosse’s psychylustro changed the way thousands of people think about getting from point A to point B. Every day, train riders traveling in and out of Philadelphia caught glimpses of this monumental creation, which unfolds in a series of seven bright, bold passages that explore scale, perspective and the passage of time. Conceived as a temporary installation, psychylustro was completed in May 2014, but changes over time as the elements gradually reclaim the space. Think of it as a real-time landscape painting, where the ever-evolving city is the canvas and your window is the frame.
The seven sites included:
-Great Wall (Side A and Side B)
–The Hut
–Drama Wall
–Green Passage
–The Trestle
–The Warehouse
–Twin Walls
Location Note: The work was meant to be temporary, and several of the sites have returned to the elements. However, some may still be visible by train or from the street. psychylustro was visible by train between 30th Street and North Philadelphia stations: Amtrak, SEPTA (Chestnut Hill West, Trenton lines), NJ Transit (Atlantic City line) along the Northeast Rail Corridor between 30th Street Station and North Philadelphia Station.
Experience an audio interpretation by sound artist Jesse Kudler.
Funding and Support
Commissioned by Mural Arts Philadelphia
Curated by Elizabeth Thomas
Presented in cooperation with Amtrak, psychylustro has been supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, National Endowment for the Arts, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Fierce Advocacy Fund, PTS Foundation, AT&T, Philadelphia Zoo, Joe and Jane Goldblum, David and Helen Pudlin, halfGenius, The Beneficial Foundation with support for the exhibition publication from the Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation.
Media: content partner WHYY’s Newsworks.org, and Metro Newspaper