New video artwork by award-winning artist Douglas Gordon to take centre stage at Tottenham Court Road station
- Thought-provoking statements from Gordon's previous works are translated into video format for the first time, with translations into a range of languages, reflecting and celebrating the diversity of surrounding Soho
- Following the launch of the Elizabeth line, thousands of customers each day will see the new video artwork as daily entries and exits at Tottenham Court Road regularly exceed 200,000
A thought-provoking new artwork that celebrates the vibrant culture of Soho will launch on 1 February at Tottenham Court Road station. The artwork, by award-winning artist Douglas Gordon, will be presented by Transport for London (TfL) and sponsors Almacantar, the City of London Corporation and Derwent London.
Gordon's undergroundoverheard is one of several artworks commissioned by Crossrail Art Programme for the Elizabeth line, the largest collaborative public art commissioning process in a generation. It will sit alongside works including Chantal Joffe's A Sunday Afternoon in Whitechapel at Whitechapel station and Conrad Shawcross' Manifold (Major Third) 5:4 at Liverpool Street station. Situated in the Dean Street entrance to the Elizabeth line at Tottenham Court Road station, Gordon's new artwork comprises a video on a large screen seen by thousands of customers each day as they descend the escalators to the platforms.
The looped video builds on Gordon's renowned text-based artworks that use short statements to make the viewer or listener speculate, including "I forgive you," "Nothing will ever be the same" and "It's better to know." Undergroundoverheard puts these texts into video format for the first time, with translations into many of the most spoken languages of the people who make London the dynamic, multicultural city that it is, reflecting the vibrancy of Soho and the international audiences that pass through the area on the Elizabeth line.
The texts appear and disappear on the screen, travelling through the space from top to bottom and side to side, reflecting the transience of people travelling. Conceived from the late 1980s through to the present, the deceptively simple yet emotionally charged statements were previously installed onto architecture such as museum walls or communicated via mail and telephone.
The public commission will be unveiled alongside a new solo exhibition of the artist's work near the station at Gagosian gallery, Grosvenor Hill, London. All I need is a little bit of everything features numerous text works, many also translated for the first time into multiple languages, and the encyclopaedic installation Pretty much every film and video work from about 1992 until now... (1999-).
Undergroundoverheard is lead-funded by property development company Almacantar and the City of London Corporation, and co-funded by property investment and development business Derwent London.
Following the opening of the Elizabeth line, care of the artworks was transferred to TfL's Art on the Underground team.
Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, said: "Douglas Gordon's undergroundoverheard is a wonderful addition to the Elizabeth line. Translated into different languages, it celebrates our capital's greatest strength - our diversity. This programme, alongside Art on the Underground, delivers amazing creative works to the travelling public every day, bringing us joy, encouraging us to stop and think and making art accessible to all, helping us build a better London for everyone."
Eleanor Pinfield, Head of Art on the Underground at TfL, said: "The launch of undergroundoverheard marks a major moment for Douglas Gordon, with his text works compiled into a dynamic video artwork for the first time. It is an exciting moment for Tottenham Court Road station, with an artwork that celebrates the breadth of global cultures in the area the station serves. These cryptic, open-ended statements will make customers from all backgrounds pause for thought, taking them on a reflective, thoughtful journey in their minds as they travel on the renowned Elizabeth line."
Chair of Crossrail Arts Foundation, Michael Cassidy said: "Celebrating the vibrant tapestry of London's cultural mosaic, the City of London Corporation proudly supports Douglas Gordon's video installation, 'undergroundoverheard,' as part of the Crossrail Art Programme. We are honoured to contribute to funding this landmark public art initiative, enriching the urban experience and fostering contemplation among travellers from every corner of the globe."
Kathrin Hersel, Executive Director at Almacantar said: "Undergroundoverheard is a brilliant addition to one of London's most dynamic stations, which is now seeing higher visitor numbers than most other West End stations. It epitomises the multitude of cultures that call London home, and brings us together by welcoming everyone to this new vibrant centre of the city. We spend a lot of time rushing around and I hope this artwork encourages us to slow down, take a look around and listen."
Derwent London said: "Derwent London is delighted to support Douglas Gordon's artwork Undergroundoverhead which celebrates London's diverse and multicultural heritage, and sits alongside the above ground artwork at Soho Place."
Infinite Accumulation by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama will be the final piece of the Crossrail Art Programme, set to be installed later this year outside the Elizabeth line Liverpool Street station eastern ticket hall at Broadgate.
More than 280 million journeys have been made on the Elizabeth line since it opened in May 2022. Tottenham Court Road station has seen a significant increase in numbers of customers since this date, with daily entries and exits frequently exceeding 200,000 at the end of 2023 with entries and exits peaking at more than 269,000 on Saturday 1 July 2023.[1]
People will be able to enjoy more artwork while travelling in London as six new artworks are set to launch on the Tube network this year as part of the Art on the Underground programme. This includes a series of artworks in the rotunda at Heathrow Terminal 4 Underground station in June by British artist and photographer Joy Gregory, a new sound work by Joe Namy with the Mayor of London's Culture and Community Spaces at Risk programme in July, and a permanent mosaic work at historic St James's Park station by artist duo Hannah Quinlan and Rosie Hastings.
Mobile coverage is now available for customers on the Central, Northern, and Elizabeth line at Tottenham Court Road station.
[1] Entries and exits at Tottenham Court Road station stood at 269,095 on Saturday 1 July 2023 - details for the whole of 2023 can be found at www.tfl.gov.uk.network-demand-report
Notes to editors
Art on the Underground
Art on the Underground is London Underground's public art programme, producing world-class contemporary artworks throughout the network, enhancing the millions of journeys made every day. It aims to promote a greater understanding of the Tube as a cultural and social environment through the creative commissioning of artworks. With between three-and-a-half to four million passengers using the network per day, Art on the Underground projects are exposed to one of the largest and diverse audiences in Europe. For more information about Art on the Underground, please visit: art.tfl.gov.uk
Crossrail Art Programme
Together with seven internationally renowned London-based art galleries and a respected advisory panel of art-world representatives, the Crossrail Art Foundation delivered the largest collaborative public art commissioning process in a generation. Major works of public art by critically-acclaimed artists have been integrated into the design and build of seven new Elizabeth line stations as part of the Crossrail Art Programme - a line-wide exhibition designed to reflect the ambition of London's newest railway and the communities it serves.
The Crossrail Art Foundation was founded in 2014 with support from the City of London Corporation, with a mission to promote art for the benefit of the public by establishing and maintaining a public art programme that will enhance the journeys of the millions of people use the Elizabeth line. The charity funded the commissioning, creation, installation and maintenance of works of art at the central Elizabeth line stations.
The Crossrail Art Foundation is registered as a charity in England and Wales (1159310) and is a company limited by guarantee (company number 09200269), with its registered office at 50 Broadway, London SW1H 0BL.
The Crossrail Art Programme was paid for by funders and/or grant contributors. The City of London Corporation provided matched funding for half of the total cost of the Art Programme in central London Elizabeth line stations, plus a contribution towards set-up costs.
The full list of artworks and funders that form the Crossrail Art Programme across the central route of the Elizabeth line:
- Spencer Finch's 'A Cloud Index' at Paddington station was co-funded by Heathrow Airport and the City of London Corporation
- Darren Almond's 'Horizon Line', 'Shadow Line' and 'Time Line' at Bond Street station were co-funded by Selfridges and the City of London Corporation
- Richard Wright's 'no title' at Tottenham Court Road station was lead-funded by Almacantar and the City of London Corporation and co-funded by Derwent London
- Douglas Gordon's 'undergroundoverheard' at Tottenham Court Road station was lead-funded by Almacantar and the City of London Corporation and co-funded by Derwent London
- Simon Periton's 'Avalanche' and 'Spectre' at Farringdon station were co-funded by Goldman Sachs and the City of London Corporation
- Conrad Shawcross' 'Manifold (Major Third) 5:4' at Liverpool Street station (west) was co-funded by Land Securities and the City of London Corporation
- Chantal Joffe's 'A Sunday Afternoon in Whitechapel' at Whitechapel station was funded by the City of London Corporation with grants from Art Fund and Randeree Charitable Trust
- Michal Rovner's 'Transitions' at Canary Wharf station was co-funded by the Canary Wharf Group and the City of London Corporation
Forthcoming:
- Yayoi Kusama's 'Infinite Accumulation' at Liverpool Street station (east) was co-funded by British Land and the City of London Corporation
Below is the list of artists and their gallery partners:
- At Paddington station: Spencer Finch with the support of Lisson Gallery
- At Bond Street station: Darren Almond with the support of White Cube
- At Tottenham Court Road station: Richard Wright with the support of Gagosian
- At Tottenham Court Road station: Douglas Gordon with the support of Gagosian
- At Farringdon station: Simon Periton with the support of the Sadie Coles HQ
- At Liverpool Street station: Conrad Shawcross with the support of Victoria Miro Gallery
- At Liverpool Street station: Yayoi Kusama with the support of Victoria Miro Gallery
- At Whitechapel station: Chantal Joffe with the support of the Whitechapel Gallery
- At Canary Wharf station: Michal Rovner with the support of Pace Gallery