‘Subway to the Outside’ was produced in 1999 for New York’s non- profit gallery Artists Space, as part of its twenty-fifth anniversary celebration. The “subway” was chosen as a metaphorical guide to involve New Yorkers from both the general public and the cultural world in dialogue concerning the nature of art production and the place of cultural activity, and to explore the idea of what an “artist space” might be in the context of a cultural capital. Armed with a camera, a microphone and the simple question “Can you tell me the way to artists’ space?” Jeanne van Heeswijk and Martin Lucas travelled through the streets of New York.
In addition, they asked fellow artists to show their own way to ‘artists’ space’. The search resulted in three programs broadcast on Manhattan Neighborhood Network, a local cable net- work, a series of discussions at Artists Space and an installation in the Swiss Institute in New York. The latter was a collaboration with Hervé Paraponaris. Artists and speakers included Samantha Coerbell, Beth Coleman, Laura Cottingham, Chico Garcia, Kristin Lucas, Joseph Di Mattia, Maydayproductions, Hervé Paraponaris, Tom Poole, REPOhistory, Saskia Sassen, Gregory Sholette, Tere Spain, Carol Stakenas, Ellen Stewart, James de la Vega, World War III Illustrated, and Martin Zet.