The National Arts Council and Land Transport Authority announced a three-year partnership to bring the arts closer to the public in commuter spaces!
You will start seeing commissioned works by Singapore artists and arts organisations as the National Arts Council (NAC) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) partner to bring public art to land transport spaces and public transport commutes.
The two agencies are also working on enlivening under-utilised spaces below viaducts with local artworks, starting with the Singapore Art Week 2024. These initiatives are to deepen collaborations between NAC, LTA and other stakeholders to bring more of the arts into public transport nodes and commuting experiences.
Creating a More Vibrant Commute
From today till 28 January 2024, seven train stations and a themed train running on the North East Line will be enlivened with selected artworks from Singapore Art Week. Envisioned as an art trail, the public will get a head-start in viewing artworks that will be showcased throughout SAW, which is taking place from 19 to 28 January 2024, through in-carriage activations and vibrant murals adorning MRT station walls.
Artworks will dot the vicinities of SAW 2024 highlight precincts across seven MRT stations – Bugis (Downtown Line), Bencoolen (Downtown Line), Dhoby Ghaut (North East Line), Little India (Downtown Line), Rochor (Downtown Line), Paya Lebar (Circle Line) and HarbourFront (North East Line).
My Mother Says
One unique artwork commuters on the North East Line can look forward to is a themed train featuring a tapestry of sayings and words of wisdom. Titled My Mother Says, the artwork is a co-creation from a SAW x PAssionArts project involving about 20 Tampines Changkat residents. Through a three-week workshop, participants shared their stories and preserved the wisdom encapsulated in their elders' words by transmuting them into enchanting light installations through the technique of creative typography.
Next Stop
In the second half of 2024, the public can look forward to the launch of an artwork under a selected viaduct, supported by the Public Art Trust initiative. The commissioned artist will work with the community to develop a large-scale artwork that would rejuvenate train viaducts and reflect the characteristics of the precinct.
