New pocket Tube map artwork by Agnes Denes calls on Londoners to see the world differently

Transport for London’s (TfL's) Art on the Underground programme will launch this summer a pocket Tube map by conceptual artist Agnes Denes. The new pocket Tube map portrays the globe from a new perspective, speaking to environmental and social issues, with posters now on the transport network ahead of the July launch.

The 41st pocket Tube map cover design, Denes’s Map Projections is a digital drawing that presents an alternate perception of space and time by projecting a section of the globe onto a cube rather than a sphere. It renders a 3D form into a 2D artwork by a process called isometric projection, often used in technical sketches, and references Denes’s renowned 1970s series, Isometric Systems in Isotropic Space - Map Projections, which took the familiar form of the globe and distorted it into different shapes, including The Hotdog, The Pyramid and The Snail. The outline of the continents in the current and previous works precisely follow this distortion.

The new form of the globe is an “electrified” rendering, with glowing lines illuminated against a pitch-black background. This transformation of the globe into a distorted, electrified form is similar to the way that the Tube map turns the London transport network into a navigable diagram.

Throughout her career, Denes’s scientifically-based drawings, prints and architectural designs have combined science, mathematics, philosophy and environmentalism alongside her pioneering environmental art, including Wheatfield - A Confrontation (1982), a two-acre field of wheat planted and harvested in downtown Manhattan, New York. Commissioned by Art on the Underground during the 25^th anniversary year of both TfL and the programme, Map Projections continues Denes’s exploration of environmental and social issues and the challenges of global survival.

Map Projections will be printed on the cover of pocket Tube maps from early July. The maps will be available for free at all TfL stations, and a poster with the design is now displayed across the network, offering a preview. 

Eleanor Pinfield, Head of Art on the Underground, said: “Denes uses Map Projections to reimagine the earth and the place of humans on it. Here, taking on the cover of the Pocket Tube map, her projection reimagines our place in the city and will be used by millions of people as they navigate the urban environment. Her electrified map reminds us of the interconnectedness of all things – which makes up the beauty of our shared existence.”

Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, said: “The pocket Tube map is much loved and a place to discover some of the world’s most important artists. Agnes Denes is no exception, it’s a real privilege to share this new commission with thousands of Londoners and visitors as they travel around London, bringing world class art into the everyday. A great addition to TfL and Art on the Underground’s pocket map their shared anniversary year, helping us build a better London for everyone.”

Map Projections follows the most recent pocket Tube map design by Rita Keegan, which was inspired by the fabric of Tube seats, while other artists that have produced designs include Joy Labinjo, Larry Achiampong and Phyllida Barlow.

This year Art on the Underground celebrates its 25^th anniversary. Since its inception in 2000, the programme has had a renowned history of commissioning site-specific artworks across the city. The changing programme of temporary works, alongside groundbreaking permanent pieces, including Alexandre da Cunha's kinetic sculpture at Battersea Power Station Underground station and Mark Wallinger's Labyrinth across London Underground network, speak to people, places, and histories, placing trust in artists and the creative process.

Later this year, Art on the Underground will launch three more artworks on the network. In July a sound artwork will launch at Waterloo London Underground station along the moving walkway between the Jubilee and Northern lines, a large-scale artwork will appear at Stratford station by artist Ahmet Öğüt in September, and the new mural at Brixton London Underground station, launching in November, will be by Rudy Loewe.