The Blue Line
Navigating the ocean of the blue line, as many commuters might find, can be an incredibly chaotic experience. Nevertheless, it constitutes a delightful chaos. Drawing our path with feathery traces of blue, this subway line is the closest to a prolonged, yet captivating museum. Here are the last bases we recommend for you to touch to make the most out of your commuting experience, traversing the vibrant artistic core of one of the most diverse Nordic cities.
Kunsträdgården
The journey begins here. Located close to the King’s garden, this station concentrates the original feeling of the underground: for a moment, we remember that we move underneath the surface, receptive to its many wonders. A secret garden waits near the exit, whispering to bring the past back: the multiple interventions in this station recall a hidden paradise beneath the rumbling of Stockholm. Although the station and artwork were initially incorporated to the tunnelbana family in 1977, new additions nurtured its core in 1987 and 1999.
Västra Skogen
This station welcomes the traveler with a deconstructed set of playful tiles that illuminate the scenery, making it a colorful and joyful intervention within the otherwise dark underground passages. The work of Silvert Lindblom highlights beautiful shades over the rocky background, making a throwback to the original decorating motifs of the subway when it first saw the light during the 1950s. The station was inaugurated in 1975, but it would not be until 1985 that the artistic display would be completed.
Vreten
While never detaching oneself from the ground, Vreten offers, quite literally, a walk in the clouds. Takashi Naraha’s work, constituted of several blocks that garnish the roof, walls and floor of the platforms, offers a deconstruction of the heavens at our reach, while we float carelessly in the tunnels. No doubt, it is a heavenly experience of the underground world. Both the station and the artwork were inaugurated in 1985.
Rissne
This station offers the commuter an impromptu History lesson about humanity’s journey. Adorning the walls, there is a long timeline organized by didactic color codes that mark several milestones in the history of the world, reminiscing of a dear textbook from early schooldays. Grouped under the name of “Vi ses på 1400-talet” (See you in the 14-hundreds), this fantastic art display by Madeleine Dranger and Rolf H. Reimers shows humanity’s progress in a nutshell. Both the station and the artwork saw the magical light of the underground in 1985.
Tensta
This station is a colorful haven in the Stockholm suburbs, reminding us that one of the biggest assets of the Swedish capital is precisely its diverse cultural landscape. Tensta waves the flag of unity, showing a series of hopeful calls for peace and fraternity in several languages. Composed by posters, drawings and different formats to convey a general message of integration, Helga Henschen’s diverse corpus of work was incorporated along with the station in 1985.
words // Valeria Villegas
