Customers on Central line trains could find themselves sitting next to an artwork by acclaimed artist Michael Landy.
"Customers should keep a look out for new artworks by Michael Landy while travelling on London Underground trains..."
Tamsin Dillon
Head of Art on the Underground

Customers should keep a look out for new artworks by Michael Landy while travelling on London Underground trains...

Landy was commissioned by Art on the Underground earlier this year to produce Acts of Kindness, an art project where customers and staff were asked to submit their stories of kindness to the artist via the Transport for London website.

The artist then created artworks from the stories.

Every day stories

The project celebrates the ordinary acts of generosity and compassion that take place every day on the Tube.

Artwork by the artist in the form of red figures and the words 'self' and 'other' by Michael Landy have been integrated into new Tube seating fabric that is being installed as part of a revamp of the Central line fleet.

In the run up to Kindness Day UK on Sunday 13 November four brand new stories of kindness artworks will be on display on trains and at stations for customers to enjoy as they travel across London.

Central line art galleries

Eight stations on the Central line now have Michael Landy artworks on display.

These are Liverpool Street, St. Paul's, Chancery Lane, Holborn, Leyton, Hanger Lane, Holland Park and Lancaster Gate. These artistic creations will also be shown at 12 more stations by Christmas.

The new stories include; a tale about how passengers on a Tube carriage made a young boy smile as they passed round his large helium balloon in a gentle relay race; another story tells of how the owners of a lost birthday gift which was left on a train were reunited with the present after the kind actions of a tourist.

More stories are published on the Acts of Kindness web page.

An eye out for art

Tamsin Dillon, Head of Art on the Underground, said: 'Customers should keep a look out for new artworks by Michael Landy while travelling on London Underground trains -  they could find themselves sitting next to well-known artist Michael Landy's work which forms part of the new Tube seating fabric on newly refurbished Central line trains.'

The new Tube seating fabric on Central line trains, which surrounds Michael Landy's artwork, is by London-based design company Wallace Sewell.

Wallace Sewell's blue and red 'moquette' is inspired by London landmarks.

 Artist Michael Landy on Tube train with new work of art in moquette  Acts of Kindness artwork poster on Tube train

Notes to editors

  • Artist Michael Landy (b.1963) grew up in East London where he still lives. Throughout his life most of his journeys have started out on the Central line. Landy was inspired to be an artist when as a child a picture he had made was shown on the BBC TV programme Take Hart. After school he studied art at Loughton, Loughborough and Goldsmiths. Shortly afterwards he achieved acclaim as one of the Young British Artists who transformed the international art scene in the early 1990s. Landy's major projects include Break Down (Artangel, 2001), where he destroyed all his material possessions. He made a painstakingly detailed list of everything he owned, totalling 7227 items. Then a team of boiler-suited helpers passed them all one by one along a conveyor belt to be shredded and granulated in a former C&A store on Oxford Street. He walked away with nothing but a pair of overalls. The experience led him to reflect deeply on the value of the small acts of compassion that connect us with others, and triggered his idea for Acts of Kindness. Landy is currently Associate Artist at the National Gallery. In recognition of his major contribution to contemporary art, he was made a lifetime member of the Royal Academy of Arts in 2008.
  • Acts of Kindness is the first in Art on the Underground's Central line series of artist's projects taking place from 2011 to 2012. The Central line is 46 miles long, interconnects with all other Underground lines, and has 49 stations in 12 boroughs. The Central line series takes inspiration from the variety of people and places spanned by the line. Each project explores the theme of communication and exchange, and the connections we make with others. The Central line series of temporary commissions is supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
  • Tube customers can contribute their stories by visiting the project web pages at art.tfl.gov.uk. Please visit the website for full terms and conditions.
  • The Tube is undergoing a huge and essential programme to upgrade its ageing infrastructure - vital to cope with a growing population and to support the economic development and growth of the capital and the UK. This includes the introduction of new track and signalling and the rebuilding of some of our most important stations. By the end of the current programme there will be 30 per cent more capacity. This will inevitably result in some disruption for passengers, but TfL is working hard to provide information and alternative travel options. The work is essential to provide for London's growing transport needs now, and into the future. TfL is urging all Londoners and Tube, London Overground, London Tramlink and DLR passengers to "check before you travel" at weekends, allowing extra journey time where necessary. Weekend travel news is available at www.tfl.gov.uk
  • Please see above examples of images available on request.