Tour the World’s Longest Art Gallery Underneath Stockholm, in Photos

The city’s public transportation system is full of unexpected delights. Here’s how to see them.

There are many things you might expect to see on a gear program while waiting for the underpass , but a quote from evolutionary biologistStephen Jay Gould—“Life is wonderful , ” or inSwedish , “ Livet är underbart”—isn’t necessarily one of them . And yet , Stockholm ’s metro is full of suchunexpected delights .

Formally known as theStockholms tunnelbana , this metro also depart by another , even more appropriate name : the “ World ’s Longest Art Exhibition . ”Since 1957 , Stockholm has propose place - as - canvases to close to 150 artists , and today , more than 90 % of its subway station boast public graphics . The results range from the bright , beautiful rainbows of Stadion , which have become a dear symbolic representation of Pride , to the rough - hewn , roue ruddy wall of Solna centrum , which resemble a tyke giant ’s military man cave .

But the art serves another function , too : pilotage . “ It ’s good for children who are just starting to travel on their own , for those who have difficulties with language and reading , and for those of us who are lost in our headphones and phones and can cursorily recognise which post we ’ve arrived at found on how it looks outside the window , ” explains Emma Sahlman , press ship’s officer at Region Stockholm .

olna Centrum station in the Stockholm metro red and green mural

This mural in the Solna Centrum station in the Stockholm metro is supposed to look like the evening sun behind a forest.|Photo by Garrett Ziegler

Kungsträdgården

Start at Kungsträdgården , at one end of the Blue Line . Of special billet are the large statutes restrain guard , include a traditional Nordic “ wildman ” ; classical sculptures ; and an archaeological site ( featuring objects from Stockholms Stadsmuseet — i.e. , the urban center museum , smartly arranged as if in mid - dig ) . Also , keep an eye out for the alone moss , mineral geological formation , and petite spider that endure in Kungsträdgården and passably much nowhere else in Stockholm .

Rådhuset

An fantabulous example of Stockholm ’s cave station , in which blasted rock has been contain into the station innovation , Rådhusethas striking reddish - orangeness walls . rife and homochromatic as the paries are , verify to look closely — Felis concolor Sigvard Olssonembedded things like giant construction boots into the ceiling and wall to give a sense of things sinking down into the place .

Stadshagen

Artist Lasse Lindqvist painted his aluminum plane at Stadshagensuch that the scenes modify as you take the air by , switching from track to battleground events , for instance . One end of the station features wintertime athletics , while the other displays summer sports .

Solna Centrum

Solna Centrumresembles the entrance to the underworld . Up closely , however , what reads as dramatic intensity is actually the nighttime sky falling over a forest . PaintersAnders Åbergand Karl - Olov Björk portray scene from rural life , such as a soul picking berries , as well as image of environmental degradation . Look out for the elk diorama , too .

Näckrosen

“ Näckrosen ” means “ water lily . ” Painter Lizzie Olsson Arle opted to bring nature , include legit boulders as well as framed flowers , into her work at this post . Unrelated to the nature theme are props from the Swedish film industry — e.g. , Greta Garbo ’s first contract . Another great photo op is the rainbow moving staircase .

Hallonbergen

Hallonbergen wins the award for most charming post . Artists Elis Eriksson and Gösta Wallmark swear on drawing from existent Thomas Kyd , including their own , to decorate it . They streamlined the color pallet , but opted to keep various misspelling .

Fridhemsplan

exchange to the Green Line at Fridhemsplan by walk through a burrow adorned with turbid swathes of green . The remainder of the place features nautical graphics as well as a graffito - similar mural .

Thorildsplan

While most of Stockholm ’s stations are underground , Thorildsplan is aboveground . The warren of sidewalks , staircases , and other base in the immediate neighborhood resemble a video game to artist Lars Arrhenius , so he adorned the place with old - school game iconography .

Hötorget

To further set off sculptorGun Gordillo ’s idle art affixed to the ceiling , the wall and trading floor of Hötorget were left unadorned — and unaltered since the post give in the fifties . Light from over 100 Ne underground bounce off the retro , light - downcast privy tiles . The place makes a brief appearing in Madonna ’s “ Ray of Light ” video .

Slussen

At Slussen , switch to the Red Line toward Mörby centrum . The station has permanent fine art — a coloured abstraction in sticking plaster and lacquer called “ Opponer ” by Sune Fogde — but until recently , the real attractor was a serial of photo collages byEric Magassa , which cover stylized epitome atop shot from the artist ’s fellowship and friends .

Östermalmstorg

Although inscribed in concrete , the art at Östermalmstorg has an effervescent , sloppy quality . Nevertheless , Siri Derkert ’s work reflects a mysterious committal to environmentalism and women’s liberation movement , area in which this prominent twentieth - C Swedish sculptor was right smart ahead of her clip .

Stadion

When it was inaugurated in 1973 , the nontextual matter at Stadion — with sky - blue wall and jolly rainbows — was meant to make the cave station seem less scary . ArtistsEnno HallekandÅke Pallarpalso need to harken back to the 1912 Olympics , which involve place nearby . Since then , however , the area has become an epicenter for Stockholm ’s annual Pride celebration , with the place ’s immense rainbow a yr - circle symbol of joy .

Tekniska högskolan

Station graphics often reflects what ’s above or nearby , as at Tekniska högskolan , home to the KTH Royal Institute of Technology . Inspired by skill and applied science , painter Lennart Mörk ’s installations let in an apple falling from the ceiling ( hello , Isaac Newton ) , multiple polyhedra , and a large wing imply to invoke Leonardo da Vinci ’s hypothesis of flight .

Universitetet

’ Grammers roll in the hay the white stick bod adorning the greenish exit door at Universitetet , and you could definitely have some fun posing near them . Do n’t pretermit the station ’s tile artistic production , though , which fete biologistCarl Linnaeusand other scientific guiding light likeOmar Khayyamand the aforementioned Stephen Jay Gould via quotes , annotated scientific greenback , and example . Who says riding the subway ca n’t make you voguish ?

Bergshamra

Bergshamra boast runic inscriptions incised into the tube paries , a reminder of Sweden ’s Viking past . tourist , commuter train , explorers — we all deal the common experience of going , whether that ’s travel beyond the horizon or to another station .

T-Centralen

Finish your tour at T - Centralen , where the Red , Blue , and Green line converge . carver Per Olof Ultvedtutilized blue angel and white to bring equanimity to the post , one of the first to feature art . He also used silhouettes to depict the people who helped build it .

Stockholm City Station

If you ’re not too subwayed - out , follow the signs at T - Centralen to Stockholm City place ( the commuter station ) , where you could see “ Ostra Hallonplaneten , ” a digital installation in purples and reds by Mikael Pauli , and “ Pendlarkatedralen , ” a multipart installment bysculptor Karin Lindh , which lends the commute elegance and dignity .

Kungsträdgården stockholm metro classical sculptures