Art in the metro
In the 1960s, when a metro project was launched in Brussels, the designers imagined an open, lively and original underground network.
Each station was to be different, in terms of both its shape and its finish, while retaining a certain unity in the decor. Passengers would discover stations with varied atmospheres and identities, while finding common elements to help them find their way around. Art was to form an integral part of this major project.
Today, more than 90 permanent works of art decorate the platforms, ticket halls and concourses, and give the 69 metro stations their soul. All genres are represented: painting, sculpture, photography, stained glass, as well as all materials: from canvas to bronze and from wood to glass and steel.
For the past ten years or so, temporary works, performances or exhibitions based on spontaneous artistic proposals have also been added from time to time. These are analysed and approved by Bruxelles Mobilité and STIB in close collaboration with public art experts.
Whether they realise it or not, tens of thousands of travellers come into contact with contemporary art every day, without being aware of it. The works help to give the stations that something that makes them more than just a place of passage: a living space.
If you are an artist or an institution promoting culture, do not hesitate to submit your project or project idea, via a letter of intent.
The works of art in the metro are brought together in the External linkcollection ‘Brussels Metro Art Gallery’ of the inventory of the movable heritage of the Brussels region.
