They packed the platforms of BART stations in downtown San Francisco, wearing suits and fedoras, rain-slicked boots and BART-themed ugly holiday sweaters. For a few hours on a gloomy Saturday, the art enthusiasts who gathered for BART Basel 2022 transformed the Bay Area’s commuter rail system into a pop-up gallery and stage, where one performer presented AI-generated love poems, while another, dressed as a Clipper card, led the audience in a rousing rendition of Quad City DJ’s “C’mon N’ Ride It (the Train).”
The festival, a play on Miami’s Art Basel, featured participants sharing and displaying objects of personal importance on BART platforms, starting at the Embarcadero and ending at San Francisco International Airport.