Improv Everywhere recently turned a New York City subway platform (23rd Street station – nice n’ close to Chelsea) into an art gallery opening, complete with tuxedoed champagne service.
All of the stuff (advertisements, phone booth, electrical conduit) was bestowed “art” status and had accompanying wall texts which are worth pausing the video for a better look. A sample:
The Arriving and Departing of the Train (Ongoing since 1932)
MTA
The periodic arrival of the C and E trains mimics Martin Creed’s “Work No. 850″ in which a runner sprints through the Tate every 30 seconds. …
If it weren’t a comedy troupe I’d have guessed it was actually artists. But then again, that’s a slim distinction: the best artists amuse and the greatest comedians challenge perception.