'15 for 150': leading artists mark 150 years of the London Underground
When you're talking about the world's oldest underground network, every birthday is a big one. But when it turns 150, a serious celebration is in order.
Earlier this year the London Underground launched a commemorative Barber Osgerby-designed £2 coin and a series of artworks by artist Mark Wallinger, now displayed in all 270 stations citywide.
Now, as part of the festivities, and in keeping with the 13-year strong Art on the Underground initiative, Transport for London has commissioned visual tributes from 15 international artists. The 15 works - one for each decade of the Tube's existence - vary wildly, though each is a contemporary take on the London institution.
One of the most poignant is Corin Sworn's 'Waiting for a Train', for which the artist researched the Underground's photography archives to represent passengers of different ages and eras in recurring poses. Their silhouettes take on the colours of the network lines and patterns from the Tube moquettes.
These days London's Tube stations double as public art galleries (it's been noted that with more than a billion customers passing through them each year, the network may very well be the largest art gallery in the world). 'The Tube is a rich environment for artists,' says Justine Simons, head of cultural policy for the Mayor of London's office and member of the Art on the Underground panel, 'and these incredible artists have come to the challenge with an openness and a curiosity which has resulted into fantastic projects.'
Full sets of the posters can be admired at Gloucester Road, St James's Park, Southwark and London Bridge stations. Proceeds from the limited-edition prints, available to purchase through Transport for London, will go on to support future Art on the Underground initiatives.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Rosa Bertoli was born in Udine, Italy, and now lives in London. Since 2014, she has been the Design Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees design content for the print and online editions, as well as special editorial projects. Through her role at Wallpaper*, she has written extensively about all areas of design. Rosa has been speaker and moderator for various design talks and conferences including London Craft Week, Maison & Objet, The Italian Cultural Institute (London), Clippings, Zaha Hadid Design, Kartell and Frieze Art Fair. Rosa has been on judging panels for the Chart Architecture Award, the Dutch Design Awards and the DesignGuild Marks. She has written for numerous English and Italian language publications, and worked as a content and communication consultant for fashion and design brands.
-
Nostalgia and eclecticism meet in Resort 2025’s best looks, which are fit for a silent disco
Free-spirited Resort 2025 looks for letting go on the dancefloor or pounding the city streets to your very own soundtrack
By Jack Moss Published
-
AC Future and Pininfarina’s RV concepts create the ultimate in mobile living at CES 2025
This trio of smart, expandable RV concepts from AC Future continues the industry's ongoing design evolution and our fascination with life on the road
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Kirin’s Electric Salt Spoon is the most bizarre exhibit at this year’s CES
The innovative device sends an actual electric shock to your tongue, which makes your food taste saltier than it really is
By Jordan Bassett Published
-
Inside the distorted world of artist George Rouy
Frequently drawing comparisons with Francis Bacon, painter George Rouy is gaining peer points for his use of classic techniques to distort the human form
By Hannah Silver Published
-
‘I'm endlessly fascinated by the nude’: Somaya Critchlow’s intimate and confident drawings are on show in London
‘Triple Threat’ at Maximillian William gallery in London is British artist Somaya Critchlow’s first show dedicated solely to drawing
By Zoe Whitfield Published
-
Surrealism as feminist resistance: artists against fascism in Leeds
‘The Traumatic Surreal’ at the Henry Moore Institute, unpacks the generational trauma left by Nazism for postwar women
By Katie Tobin Published
-
Looking forward to Tate Modern’s 25th anniversary party
From 9-12 May 2025, Tate Modern, one of London’s most adored art museums, will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a lively weekend of festivities
By Smilian Cibic Published
-
Out of office: what the Wallpaper* editors have been doing this week
A week in the world of Wallpaper*. Here's how our editors have been entertaining themselves in the run up to Christmas
By Hannah Tindle Published
-
Love, melancholy and domesticity: Anna Calleja is a painter to watch
Anna Calleja explores everyday themes in her exhibition, ‘One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night’, at Sim Smith, London
By Emily Steer Published
-
Ndayé Kouagou speaks the language of the chaotic social media influencer in London
Ndayé Kouagou celebrates meandering incoherence with an exhibition, ‘A Message for Everybody’, at Gathering in London
By Phin Jennings Published
-
Out of office: what the Wallpaper* editors have been doing this week
A snowy Swiss Alpine sleepover, a design book fest in Milan, and a night with Steve Coogan in London – our editors' out-of-hours adventures this week
By Bill Prince Published