Subways, Venetian Gondolas Mix in New York

The gondolas rock gently on the shimmering waves of the Venetian canal, one carrying lovers, the other two men sharing a bottle of wine.

Then reality intrudes--a screeching subway train.

It’s just “one of the millions of strange things that can happen to you in this city,” says artist Alexander Brodsky, who created the dank romance of nocturnal Venice inside the Canal Street subway station, 50 feet under Chinatown.

The exhibit is part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s efforts to beautify the gloomy subway system with art. It features real water and five gondolas right on the tracks--a sort of international tribute to the canal that is said to have occupied this Lower Manhattan spot in colonial times.

For six weeks beginning Dec. 4, commuters can catch the Russian artist’s vision of Venice.

“I like it! It’s like China!” said Freddy Gheng, who was dashing across a platform past the unused tracks when he stopped cold for a double take. He lingered for a moment, saying the scene reminded him of riverboats in his native Fujian province.

It took 2,200 gallons of water contained by 440 pounds of vinyl under 40 spotlights to create this touch of romance, set against a scrim of a street in Venice.

The water is only a foot deep, but to give the illusion of depth, it was dyed black.

Different as New York and Venice are, they share at least one thing--rats. So to keep the subway canal clean, rat poison was added to the chlorine and food coloring.