An artistic journey

More than a billion journeys are taken on London Underground every year. That’s a daily average of over 3.5 million journeys, sometimes 4 million each day. At the busiest times there are over 600,000 people on the network simultaneously. The Underground is 150 years old this year and 'Art on the Underground' is marking the anniversary with those millions of people in mind. The plan, as always, is to add something different, something exceptional to their journeys, something that most of them do not go out of their way for on a daily basis − new artworks, commissioned from the best artists in the world.

For London Underground, 2013 is a year for considering statistics, facts and figures, for making comparisons, and thinking about the hows and whys of its history and what the future holds. The geographic, social and demographic reach of the network is immense. It is one of the last remaining publicly owned companies in the UK and it is a truly democratic space, used by people from all walks of life for all sorts of reasons. Each journey taken is from one carefully designed station to another, and is governed by choices made using a world-famous map designed by Harry Beck. The Underground brand itself is represented by one of the oldest and most well-known logos in the world. This cultural history and the audience of millions define the rationale and vision for Art on the Underground – to bring world-class art to the huge travelling public.

I am interested in how art is received in different places and what it means to produce and encounter art in prosaic places

Over the last ten years I have worked with a small team and limited resources to establish the art programme across the network. Our strategic approach has been to develop an integrated set of programme strands, featuring temporary and permanent art works as well as a range of discursive events, talks, publications and online communications. Projects can be large-scale, for sites such as Gloucester Road and Stratford stations or Canary Wharf Screen, to comparatively small, such as the hand-held artworks commissioned for the front cover of the pocket Tube map.

A specific, long-term programme strand aims to produce artworks in series on a ‘line by line’ basis. In 2012 a set of temporary works for the Central line was completed, featuring projects by artists including Michael Landy, Alice Channer and Bob and Roberta Smith. Prior to that the focus was the Jubilee line, and the entire process began with the Piccadilly line in 2008. This flow has been temporarily interrupted in 2013 to bring works across the network in its 150th year.

‘Labyrinth’ by Mark Wallinger, a permanent work conceived for the anniversary, is the biggest artwork yet produced by Art on the Underground. One unique labyrinth design is being produced in vitreous enamel, the material for all Underground signage, and installed in each of the 270 stations. Each one represents the circuitous routes of individual journeys taken by millions of people on the Tube every day. While each design is different, they are all circular, a direct reference to the shape of the Underground logo. The work has many references, layers and ways for people to interact with it. Most remarkable, it brings a brand new symbol to the Underground to signify this anniversary.

Labyrinth represents many aspects of what is important for Art on the Underground: a real challenge for the artist that pushes the boundaries of their practice; the production of a significant new work for them and for the Underground; a work that many people will see and interact with; and a work that involves the collaboration of many individuals and organisations for its completion. In addition to the production and installation of the physical labyrinth signs, Labyrinth has a multi-layered public programme of talks, competitions and related projects, with particular focus on young people, with a view to ensuring a widespread awareness and understanding of the artwork.

An important aspect of producing new artworks for London Underground is time. There are many constraints and challenges to planning any project in such a place, and artists need time to consider and think through ideas and thoughts, time to test things out. A project launch is designed to make it appear that a new work has been produced literally overnight. But creating that sense of surprise always takes time to plan, and having time for creative and practical resolutions is crucial.

Conversations with Mark began more than two years before the 2013 anniversary, allowing for a creative process to evolve and bring the concept to fruition. His status as a world-renowned artist, as well as his knowledge of and interest in London Underground were key reasons for inviting him. These factors meant he had the experience to produce a great work and ultimately he has risen to that huge challenge. In return for his commitment, he will remain forever represented by the work across the entire Tube network.

A second major project for 2013 called ‘15 for 150’ also demonstrates an important aim of the programme – to work with an international range of artists at all stages of their careers. 15 artists from well-established to those at the start of their careers have each produced an image specifically to be reproduced in many sites across the network. Each artist has also produced the image as a special limited edition, marking the year in a different way and enabling funds to be generated for future projects.

The examples mentioned here illustrate a small section of the Art on the Underground programme. The linking factor is not just the context of the Tube but the ambition to bring new, high-quality art to millions of people. Perhaps this aspiration works well on the Underground because it is representative of the relatively recently defined ‘third place’; the place between home and work where people have real time to look at and notice things, to think things through. So it is a good place to present art and a good place to look at art.

My own work as a curator has consistently focussed on commissioning new works in many contexts, as well as the more conventional site of the gallery. I am interested in how art is received in different places and what it means to produce and encounter art in prosaic places, as well as in the ‘hallowed’ site of the gallery. Also, what are the interdependencies between these places? Can they be developed to harness something new? Whatever direction these questions take, the possibility of encountering art every day is something I regard as very important.

I was once asked if I have a dream project that might be impossible to realise. It is a good question, but it made me think how important it is to dream, and to attempt to bring dreams to reality. Many Art on the Underground projects seemed impossible before they were made. For example, getting permission for the first Tube map cover commission was very difficult, but it led to establishing a popular ongoing series. The first permanent work, ‘Full Circle’ by Knut Henrik Henriksen at King’s Cross, was also a huge challenge that often seemed unlikely to be completed. Now the first network-wide work is being created and that certainly seemed a distant dream at one time. More extraordinary artworks are in the pipeline, offering more artists the chance to make contact with the huge and diverse audience they have on London Underground.

Tamsin Dillon is Head of Art on the Underground.
art.tfl.gov.uk