Underground art: eight spectacular underground stations
Beyond street art and the usual museums and gallery circuits, art is also available in the world of the underground. And we don’t mean ‘underground’ as in ‘alternative’, we’re talking about literally ‘under the ground’. Let’s take a look at eight underground stations in Iberia destinations where you’ll find an amazing selection of art installations.
Stockholm’s metro boasts a surprising collection of paintings – 94 of its 100 metro stations have been decorated by local artists. One of them is T-Centralen, located under the central train station, where you can take a free guided tour three days a week - image from Lev Karavanov/GettyImages
Advertising has been prohibited in the six stations on Düsseldorf’s Wehrhahn line to make room for concept art. Here, you can read a poem, see the Amazon from above, watch the universe, listen to strange sounds or become digitally ensconced in an interactive installation.
Opened in 1998, the year Lisbon hosted the Expo, the Olaias metro station is an ode to iconic Portuguese ceramic tiles. Both the entrance and the interior are covered with a colourful mosaic that creates a special atmosphere created by the myriad of colours - image from van Vdovin/Alamy Photo from stock
Known as the ‘the underground palace’, Moscow’s subway is also one of the world’s leaders in art at public transport systems. The Kíevskaya station, on the Circular Line, stands out for its white marble-covered ceilings and gold-decorated mosaics, a tribute to the city of Kiev - image from invizbk/GettyImages
The Bustamante Park station, in Santiago, Chile’s metro Line 5, is home to the longest mural in Chile. The mural Vida y trabajo: los ojos y las manos del esfuerzo – 223 metres long and 673km2 of painting – by the painter Mono González, decorates the top of the platforms. - image from RosaIreneBetancourt 6/Alamy Foto de stock
With more than 200 works of art, Naples’ subway has also become a large exhibition hall. The Toledo station, with its futuristic vibe, is located in the Italian city’s main shopping area. Designed by the Catalan architect Óscar Tusquets Blanca, it stands out for its blue matte mosaics, symbolising that part of the station is below sea level - image from CAHKT/GettyImages
Since it opened in 2000, Shanghai’s Bund Sightseeing Tunnel has positioned itself as one of the favourite attractions of visitors to this Chinese city. On the less-than-five-minute trip through this tunnel, you can see an LED show with sound effects - image from Gavin Hellier/Alamy Photo from stock
In New York, the 14th St - 8th Avenue station has been home to the Life Underground installation by the artist Tom Ottering since 2001. It features bronze statues of animals, including a crocodile from the sewers - image from Alessandra Pezzotta/Alamy Photo from stock
Stockholm’s metro boasts a surprising collection of paintings – 94 of its 100 metro stations have been decorated by local artists. One of them is T-Centralen, located under the central train station, where you can take a free guided tour three days a week - image from Lev Karavanov/GettyImages
