Transport for London launched the 'Art On The Underground' initiative in the late 1990s to bring new life to the London Underground. Photo: AFP
Transport for London is turning the city's public transport network into an art gallery.
The British capital's public transport authority has invited renowned artists such as Monster Chetwynd and Barby Asante to express themselves on the walls of the corridors and staircases of the London Underground, in order to bring culture to a wider audience.
Monster Chetwynd, nominated for the prestigious Turner Prize in 2012, will transform the platform at Gloucester Road tube station in May. The ambitious project includes a 60m-long installation featuring frogs, salamanders, turtles and tadpoles – a recurring animal theme in the 50-year-old British artist's work – as well as a film.
"Chetwynd takes as her starting point the engineering feat of the Crystal Palace, built in 1851, and its design by gardener turned architect Joseph Paxton," Transport for London (TfL) explains in a news release.
Barby Asante will participate in the 2023 edition of the Art On The Underground programme by reinventing one of her most famous creations, Declaration Of Independence.
It is a performative forum that replicates the conference rooms where independence treaties, trade agreements and manifestos are negotiated. The multidisciplinary artist usually invites strangers to share life stories related to slavery and colonialism. This time, she invited TfL staff to share their experiences during a performance being staged in September at Stratford station.
Canadian-Korean artist Zadie Xa and Italian artist Jem Perucchini will also be among the artists brightening up the British capital's subway stations.
Zadie Xa explores the mythological figure of the griffin as an emblem of the Tube (the nickname for the London Underground) in the early 20th century through her new creation. It will be unveiled to the public in March at Aldgate East station.
Meanwhile, commuters will have to wait until November to discover the mural that Jem Perucchini has designed for Brixton station. Reinventing the TubeThe American artist Sharon Hayes and the British photographer Joy Gregory will soon unveil the pieces they designed for the London Underground map, while Shenece Oretha will partner with several of the city's community associations to produce collective audio artworks that will be broadcast on the public transport system.
For Eleanor Pinfield, head of Art On The Underground, this new edition of the public art programme gives a new face to the Tube.
"Bringing leading international artists to the spaces of London Underground, the 2023 programme invites a focus on the collective experience of the Tube environment, exploring the imaginary and physical terrain of the spaces we travel through every day. These major new artworks re-cast the Tube as a site for collective voices, for contemplation and revelation and for the retelling of stories," she said in a statement.
TfL launched the Art On The Underground initiative in the late 1990s to showcase the London Underground as a true medium for art and expression, bringing culture to a wider audience. Jeremy Deller, Yayoi Kusama, Rachel Whiteread and Mark Wallinger have all participated in previous editions of the event. – AFP
