For most passengers, a journey on the London Underground is a routine part of daily life; a means of getting from A to B as efficiently as possible. But woven into the fabric of this vast transport network is something far less functional, but no less important. Transport for London (TfL) hosts what is effectively London’s largest public art gallery, embedded throughout its transport network and at the Global Poster Gallery at the London Transport Museum.
At the heart of this cultural offering, lies TfL’s ‘Art on the Underground’ programme which, over the past two decades has quietly transformed the Tube into one of the largest and most accessible public art galleries in the world. From bold installations in disused platforms to artist-designed Tube maps carried in their millions, the initiative has embedded creativity into the everyday journeys of Londoners and visitors alike.
Launched in 2000 as ‘Platform for Art’ and rebranded in 2007, Art on the Underground was created with a clear ambition: to bring high-quality contemporary art directly to the public, outside the traditional confines of galleries and museums.
Today, the programme commissions both temporary and permanent works across the network. These appear in a variety of forms: from large-scale installations at stations, murals, and mosaics, to digital and sound-based works and posters that replace traditional advertising space. New commissions are added to the network on an annual basis to sit alongside permanent works, which encompass historic commissions, including Henry Moore’s first public commission from 1929.
2026 programme
Back in January, TfL announced the theme of its 2026 programme which is inspired by subterranean histories, hidden work, and historic imbalances. In March, TfL unveiled its latest installation, a four-part piece by London-based artist Phoebe Boswell which invites audiences to consider how we relate to water and the natural world.
The new commission, named ‘we move through scales of blue’, is made up of four photographic artworks running next to the escalators at Bethnal Green and Notting Hill Underground stations, with the images layered into complex sequences that are brought to life by customers’ movement up and down the escalators. The work continues the artist’s exploration of themes including water, freedom, and migration, and invites customers to reflect on their interactions with nature, even within a busy urban environment like London.
Eleanor Pinfield, head of Art on the Underground, explained: “Phoebe Boswell’s new artwork engages deeply with the idea of the Underground as a series of connections. Situated alongside escalators in the east and west of the city, Boswell’s sublime images connect us to hidden waterways in the city and allude to journeys – over water, through generations – of those who live in London today.
Boswell photographed Black and non-white swimming communities underwater, with participants responding intuitively to her prompts. The history of the underground Walbrook and Westbourne rivers shares similarities with the development of the London Underground network, and the commission traces the notion of the waterway, evoking journeys and migratory routes to, from, and within London, particularly for Black diasporic communities.
The work is also a response to the Black Swimming Association’s statistic that 96% of Black British people don’t swim regularly and invites audiences to consider reclaiming water as a space of healing and renewal.
Artist Phoebe Boswell said: “It has been an immense pleasure to engage with both these public sites as spaces to consider waterways and our relationship to them. I have so much gratitude for all the participants who joined me in our underwater studio, for their generosity in bringing their presence and their stories to this work.
“The process of the gathering is always revelatory and transformative; we are all unique and infinitely whole, and yet intricately connected and interdependent across histories and geographies. This ultimately informed how I shaped each tableau figuratively within the liquid abstraction of the water, with each person’s journey flowing fluidly into the next. I hope the work brings a moment of pause, breath and reflection during people’s commute.”
More to come
Following the launch of this photographic commission, American artist Ellen Gallagher will explore colonial landscapes and marine mythology in her design for the 42nd pocket Tube map. Expanding on her interest in colonial topographies and marine mythology, Gallagher’s Tube map cover will explore notions of sediment and the subterranean waterways which run alongside the Underground tunnels. Launching in June, the 42nd pocket Tube map will remain in circulation for a year
Later in June, an audio artwork commission by London-based composer, artist and DJ Ain Bailey will then run for 10 days at Waterloo Underground station. The work, which is the artist’s first UK public artwork, is the third audio artwork commission in a series for Waterloo Underground station with the Mayor of London’s Culture and Community Spaces at Risk programme.
September will see the unveiling of a largescale artwork by Scottish painter Caroline Walker. Following visits to Stratford Market Depot, where all Jubilee line trains return each evening to be cleaned and maintained, Walker has shadowed women working night shifts as train operators and cleaners. This new work for Stratford station will illuminate the Underground’s 24-hour workforce and the women whose unseen labour keeps the network running.
For the tenth Brixton Mural, November will see a new commission by internationally renowned British painter Hurvin Anderson. His site-specific work for Brixton Underground station will extend a decades-long investigation into scenes of transit and migration. It opens in the same year as his major survey exhibition at Tate Britain.
Gallery guide
Helping passengers navigate this vast and often overlooked gallery beneath the streets, TfL’s Art Map is designed to guide customers through the network’s growing collection of artworks. Acting as both a cultural companion and a practical tool, it enables users to locate and explore installations across the Underground with ease.
Art on the Underground recently launched a new edition of the map, showcasing the rich and diverse commissions that have joined existing artworks on the TfL network since the Art Map was first released back in 2016.
Providing images and texts for each work featured, including details of where to find each artwork, the Art Map is free and available in all Zone 1 London Underground stations, as well as in stations with Art on the Underground commissions outside of Zone 1, including Brixton, Seven Sisters and Sudbury Town. The latest version of the map provides customers with a guide to visit all the 26 permanent artworks which are now on display across the London Underground network.
Enhanced experience
From an operational perspective, the inclusion of art within the Underground may seem secondary to the core business of running a safe and reliable railway, but its impact on the passenger experience should not be underestimated.
Art can play a subtle but important role in shaping how people perceive their environment, and in busy, enclosed spaces such as Underground stations, well-designed visual and cultural elements can reduce stress, improve mood, and create a more welcoming atmosphere.
There is also a growing recognition across the rail industry that passenger satisfaction is influenced by more than punctuality and capacity.
Factors such as comfort, cleanliness, and ambience all contribute to overall perception — and art has a role to play in each of these areas.
Another key dimension of Art on the Underground is its focus on representation and inclusion. Many commissions explore themes such as identity, migration, and community, reflecting the diversity of London itself.
By providing a platform for a wide range of artists, the programme helps to ensure that the Underground is not only a shared physical space, but a shared cultural one. This aligns closely with broader public service objectives, reinforcing TfL’s role as a civic institution rather than simply a transport operator.
More than a journey
TfL’s approach offers valuable lessons for the wider rail sector. As operators across the UK and beyond look to enhance passenger experience and demonstrate social value, the integration of art and culture presents a great opportunity.
While not every network can replicate the scale of London’s programme, the underlying principles are widely applicable: designing with passengers in mind, creating a sense of place, and recognising the importance of the journey experience as a whole. In an era where rail must compete with other modes of transport – and where public perception plays an increasingly important role – such initiatives can help the rail industry stand out.
Ultimately, TfL’s use of art on the London Underground is about more than decoration. It represents a deliberate effort to enrich the experience of travel, to connect infrastructure with culture, and to create a network that reflects the city it serves. It reminds us that even in the most functional of spaces, there is room for creativity — and that the journey itself can be as meaningful as the destination.
Lead image: Hannah Quinlan and Rosie Hastings, Angels of History, 2024, St James’s Park Underground station. Commissioned by Art on the Underground
