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To continue with our Swedish theme for the month, we’re back at it with another cool and artsy thing to do if
you happen to be in Stockholm (if that’s not on the agenda, don’t worry – we’ve
included plenty of gorgeous photos to ogle from afar).
The Stockholm Metro is sometimes referred to as the world’s
longest art gallery. Indeed, more than 90 of the 110 stations feature artwork
created by over 150 artists. You can see sculptures, mosaics, paintings, art
installations, inscriptions and reliefs dating from the 1950s right through to
the present day.
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| T-Centralen Tunnelbana via Flickr by Nenyaki |
The Stockholm Metro has a long and (quite literally)
colourful history. While it began operation in September of 1933 as a Premetro,
it didn’t actually become a full-fledged metro until October of 1950. In the
1950s, artists Vera Nilsson and Siri Derkert were the primary
forces behind the initial campaign to bring art to the Metro. The stations
built during the 1960s were mostly underground and many of the stations – such
as Östermalmstorg, Mariatorget, and Hornstull –incorporated art from their
inception.
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| Rådmansgatan via Flickr by Nenyaki |
Unlike the concrete stations of the previous decade, the
1970s approach was to cover the rock face with a layer of sprayed concrete,
approximately 7 to 8 cm thick; the sprayed concrete follows the shape of the
rock and gives the illusion that the station is actually a cave. The art from
this period included stations designed as a coherent whole; the artists,
architects, and engineers worked in a long-term partnership to create these
stations, which include Rådhuset, Kungsträdgården, and Solna Centrum.
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| Kungsträdgården via Flickr by Nenyaki |
Perhaps the most visually striking of all the stations is
Solna Centrum. It’s cavernous, vibrant red ceiling and green spruce forest
walls are incredibly striking and make for some absolutely gorgeous photos.
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| via Flickr by Tobias Lindman |
Since 1997, Storstockholms Lokaltrafik has been running
regular guided tours of the Stockholm Metro art at no additional charge.
Swedish tours run all year round and English tours run in the summer. All
you need is a valid Metro ticket to join in - if you have been lucky enough to visit this amazing place, let us know in the comments below, we would love to hear from you!
