The artwork which will be on permanent display inside the new Metro trains has finally been announced and will be shown for just three days before being hidden until next year.
Works by four different artists will line the interior of the 46 new Tyne and Wear Metro trains which are due to enter service from next year, with the provider saying they will become some of the most-viewed and well-known pieces of art in Britain, with more than 35 million passengers travelling each year.
The designs are said to reflect the diverse communities serviced by the Metro across Newcastle and Sunderland, and will make their debut in a brief three-day exhibition at the NCA gallery in High Bridge, Newcastle, from October 13.
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Artists Bryony Simcox, Sofia Barton, Sara Gibbeson, and Hazel Noakes (Nocciola the Drawer) were the four winners of an international competition to feature on the new trains, said to be the first of its kind in the world.
“Bryony, Sofia, Sara, and Hazel tell four very different stories about modern North East England, but between them have created art which will inspire, intrigue and entertain millions of Metro customers for years to come,” said Huw Lewis, customer services director for Nexus, which operates Metro.
“We held a competition, challenging artists to create original large scale works capturing what it means to live in our region today. I could not be more excited to be sharing the finished works as we count down to the introduction of our new trains.
“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.”
Nexus said its customers have been the foundation of creating the new fleet, even down to the smallest details, and one thing they asked was art and imagery to be incorporated into the carriages.
Metro ’s new train artwork, The Big Reveal, is a free exhibition open from 10am until 8pm, with gallery manager Toby Lloyd saying the NCA is “proud” to be partners with Nexus on the “exciting new project”.
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