San Francisco Artist Installs a Working Rope Swing on a BART Train Car

A photo posted by Hunter Franks (@whatcould.be) on Sep 2, 2016 at 3:58pm PDT

Hunter Franks cleverly installed a working rope swing onto a BART train car and invited passengers to partake in the fun. This project was part of Franks’ work as the self-appointed BART artist-in-residence and is reminiscent of a similar prank that took place in 2009.

On August 23, 2016 I named myself Artist-In-Residence for BART with the hashtag #noBARTwithoutART. I officially announced it on social media, as making it seem sanctioned by BART was integral to the project. I didn’t need, or want, to wait for permission to insert joy into the BART system. I just wanted to do it, and make it seem entirely legitimate. If others thought BART was backing it then maybe they too would begin to reimagine what was possible within the confines of large bureaucratic agencies such as BART. …Swings are childhood, freedom, air, fun. So there can’t be any better place for a swing than a subway train where hordes of adults commute to and from work stuck in a small screeching steel box. I made a simple swing with some rope, a drill, and wood and hung it on the BART train. People were thrilled and the number of smiles on the train increased 100%. One rider remarked that BART should turn all the seats into swings.