Tyne and Wear Metro’s New On-Train Artworks to Be Revealed in a Pop-Up Show
Four large-scale artworks which are the first in the world commissioned for the inside of the new Metro trains will go on display in Newcastle this month in a special pop-up show.
The four vibrant images will fill the end walls across the 46 trains of the Tyne and Wear Metro’s new fleet when it starts to enter service next year, thanks to a unique collaboration between Metro operator Nexus and train manufacturer Stadler, funded by Arts Council England.
But Metro customers will get a chance to see the new art much sooner, at a three-day pop-up exhibition being staged at the NCA gallery in High Bridge, Newcastle, from the 13 to 15 October.
Nexus has so far released only a small detail of each of the four works, which it commissioned alongside Stadler with grant support from Arts Council England’s National Lottery funded programme.
Sofia Barton explores the hidden histories and diverse communities which make North East England a vibrant and inclusive place to live, while Nocciola the Drawer’s work celebrates the ‘wild sea women’ who daily plunge into the seas along our coastline.
Bryony Simcox has created an intricate collage from family snaps and treasured photos submitted by Metro passengers, and Sara Gibbeson has turned her closely-observed line drawings of people and places into a giant canvas of intriguing overlapping images.
Customer Services Director for Nexus, Huw Lewis, said: “Our customers have helped shaped the design of Metro’s new fleet down to the smallest detail and one thing people asked for was art and imagery to be incorporated into the final carriages.
“We held an international competition asking artists to create original floor-to-ceiling works capturing what it means to live in North East England today. The result has been four vibrant and contrasting images which will become a treasured part of the journey for millions of people in the years to come.
“Nexus has a long tradition in commissioning public and community art across our stations, but this is the first time in Metro’s 42-year history we have commissioned major works onto trains, and we believe it is the first project of its kind in the world.”
“We are very pleased to be working with NCA Gallery to stage a pop-up show to reveal these fantastic works for just a few days, before people see the finished works in their true home on board trains next year.”
Jane Tarr, Director North, Arts Council England said: “I’m delighted that we have supported Nexus through our National Lottery Project Grants programme for this project. And it’s great that there is an opportunity for people to see the artworks ahead of their installation on the Metro’s new trains. I hope that the artists’ work will spark conversations on and off the Metro about what it means to live in the North East and I look forward to seeing all four artworks myself.”
Toby Lloyd, NCA Gallery Manager, said: “NCA fully support Nexus’s commitment to commissioning public artwork, and we are proud to be partnering with them on this exciting new project. We look forward to seeing the public’s reactions to these fantastic artworks in the gallery before they appear on the new fleet of trains.”
Metro’s new train artwork – the Big Reveal is a free exhibition open from 10am to 8pm from Thursday, 13th October to Saturday, 15th October at NCA gallery, 31-39 High Bridge, Newcastle, NE1 1EW. https://www.visitnca.com/exhibitions/metro-artwork-reveal
