Art in Transit North East Line Tour

Service Description

As part of the 20th Singapore HeritageFest in May 2023, which celebrates our rich sporting and public transportation history, Art Outreach will be presenting a series of guided tours to introduce the public to the Art in Transit (AIT) programme, Singapore’s largest public art showcase. Under the AIT programme, local artists are commissioned to create original artworks for MRT stations, providing an opportunity for the artists to celebrate the history and community of the surrounding neighbourhoods and introducing everyday commuters to new vistas of artistic expression. As of 2022, the AIT programme spans 103 stations, 107 artists and features more than 440 artworks. The AIT programme celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and will be showcased as part of HeritageFest 2023. Running exclusively on the weekends of 6–7 and 13–14 May, the tours will cover 4 key stations along the North East Line — Dhoby Ghaut, Clarke Quay, Chinatown and Outram Park — and the ambitious, site-specific artworks commissioned for them. As the inaugural line in the AIT programme, the North East Line artworks were fully-integrated into the station's spaces, unlike freestanding artworks in other MRT stations, and allow commuters to appreciate their rich colours, shapes and textures afresh each time they travel. Aside from delving into the artist inspirations behind the artworks in each station, the tours will highlight architectural and engineering anecdotes, and reveal Singapore’s urban planning at its best. In doing so, they grant unparalleled insight into the stories and creative process behind one of Singapore’s most ambitious public art programmes and the individuals who made it possible.