Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Art in the Stockholm subways

Before I came to Stockholm, I was making a mental list of things I wanted to do and see and the art work in the subway system was one of them. Yesterday I spent several hours riding the rails and getting off when I saw an interesting spot. I took the blue line from T-Centralen and rode up toward Akala, getting off at Kista and then heading back south. I would love to continue the adventure and wish I could spend more time here.

These are some of the images I captured yesterday, way down underground. It was amazing.

 

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The blue line at T-Centralen.

 

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The Stockholm subway system is said to be the world's longest art exhibit - 110 kilometers long.Traveling by subway is like traveling through an exciting story that extends from the artistic pioneers of the 1950s to the art experiments of today.

Over 90 of the 100 subway stations in Stockholm have been decorated with sculptures, mosaics, paintings, installations, engravings and reliefs by over 150 artists. The Kungsträdgården subway station looks like an archaeological excavation, with the remains of the old Stockholm Makalös palace. At Östermalmstorg the artist Siri Derkert highlights women's rights and peace and environmental issues.

~via VisitStockholm.com

 

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I was traveling alone, as my son was at work the entire day. This was an adventure for me as I am not an accomplished subway rider.

 

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Beautiful mosaic tiles at Vastra skogen.

 

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I went up to see what it looked like above. To get up, I had to ride two super long escalators. I had never seen escalators this long. This photo was taken at the section of break between them.

 

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And then I went back down again.

 

 

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This one is amazing.

 

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This is Solna Centrum.

 

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Every inch of wall and ceiling space have been painted red. Landscapes accompany the artwork on the walls.

 

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I could have done this all day.

 

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This is the final one I will show you. It’s the stop at Nackrosen.

 

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It feels like I am in  pond here.

Simply amazing.

 

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I wish I had more time to spend in this beautiful city. If you are planning on visiting Stockholm, I cannot recommend the subway art tour enough. You have to see it and feel it to truly appreciate it. I found out after coming back to the apartment and reading up on it that they actually offer tours. According to the VisitStockholm website, these are the best of the artworks.

Blue line:
Kungsträdgården
T-centralen
Rådhuset
Solna Centrum
Tensta

Green line:
Hötorget
Thorildsplan
Bagarmossen

Red line:
Tekniska Högskolan
Stadion

Maybe I can hit a few more while I am here . . .

Hope you enjoyed!

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19 comments:

Cloudia said...

How very cool and civilized!




ALOHA from Honolulu
ComfortSpiral
=^..^=

Country Gal said...

Fantastic photos you have captured this so wonderfully ! Glad you are having a good time ! Thanks for sharing and taking us with you ! Have a great day and adventure !

The Furry Gnome said...

That is one amazing subway system!

Mary said...

<3

KathyB. said...

Wow, this should catch on and be encouraged in subways everywhere !

alphabet soup said...

Fantastic. You would recognize your station by the artwork... beats boring old signage.

Ms Soup.

Kerri Farley said...

WOW! Now that's my kind of Subway!!

Happy Thanksgiving my friend!!!!

jo said...

Oh what a wonderful trip you are having!!! I'm so happy for you. You've made me want to go to Sweden now!! Enjoy, Enjoy...

Susan said...

Fabulous!! I am grateful for the underground trains (Ubahn) in Munich, they are fast, efficient and clean - and yes they have the longest escalators ever!

But these in Stockholm are so beautiful! I am more and more certain that I must go there :-)

Daryl said...

awesome .... and i am so proud of you for discovering all you can do ... xo

Daryl said...

awesome .... and i am so proud of you for discovering all you can do ... xo

liz love said...

Good thing I check your blog, I've missed a lot of great stuff here. Just finished reading your newest entry and also the rest of your Stockholm adventure. And yes been waiting now for more... I love all the pictures and you really inspired me!

I'm from...

lizappleoftheeye.blogspot.com

Jan's camera said...

Amazing. I would never have known about this fabulous art exhibit. Thanks so much for sharing. Your photos are wonderful.

Carolynn Anctil said...

I had no idea that existed. Very interesting. Glad you're having fun over there and sharing your experiences with us.

Carolynn
A Glowing Ember

Winters End Rambler said...

Looks lovely...but maybe a day to be thankful for escalators with a bady knee instead of stairs! Enjoy your trip. Jackie.x

Rain said...

Awesome!!!!

Sabrina Steyling said...

Wow, that is seriously beautiful and amazing! I love it.

Annie said...

amazing place Kate, thanks for sharing it with us! so pleased you are able to be there!

Karen thisoldhouse2.com said...

Ha! Compare that to NYC!!!?... so beautiful.. thanks for sharing.