This project investigates the role of art in transit spaces through the design of exhibition elements that can host temporary artistic projects that challenge creative stakeholders in bringing local communities into cultural conversations.
For my third Master’s semester while studying Spatial Design at the Royal Danish Academy, we were tasked to explore our positions as spatial designers in relation to a larger practice and academic field and in relation to a broader societal context. As a point of departure, my theoretical assignment explored the shifting roles of art in the Copenhagen Metro stations. In relation to this emphasis on efficiency and standardization, I investigated how and why the Metro stations started to make space for art but perhaps in a more restrained capacity. Which brought up this question of the functionality of public art in these regulated spaces of transportation.
When researching sites for my semester project, I knew that I wanted to work with transit spaces but in relation to public art. I not only looked in the Copenhagen Metro system but also the DSB stations as well. On the S-Line, I came across Sydhavn Station which has a gallery attached called Sydhavn Station Gallery where you can see the entrance on the right side of the image. Here you can see some of their public facing artwork in this sequence of posters, but also how it's a competing relationship with advertising on the left, wayfinding in front, and remnants of graffiti on the slanted ceiling. This led me to investigating the gallery’s role in influencing the passenger journey.
Sydhavn Station is located in the southern area of Copenhagen. While its core is a largely working class district, it also contains an upscale residential area along the harbour which has been developed since 2000. The area has been dissected by major transport corridors and characterized by industry along the harbour-front neighborhoods. In 1972, Sydhavn Station opened and is part of the DSB, which is the largest train operating company in Denmark. Since 1999, the DSB has been an independent public state-owned corporation under the Danish Ministry of Transport and Energy and now operates on a for-profit basis. I map out the local cultural context to see a potential network of stakeholders that could work with Sydhavn Station gallery. A small creative community exists with a mix of art, music, theater and food. In yellow, you can see Sydhavn Theater and Enter Art Fair who I see as potential guest stakeholders to partner with the gallery.
I began to look into the Sydhavn Station Gallery role and operations at the station. In 2012, Sydhavn Station gallery inhabited the former ticketing office and today consists of 11 members. The collective presents themselves as “... an artistic meeting place for contemporary art, where there would otherwise be no art.” Catering to a wide range of viewers, they seek to create a place for encountering art in the public space in an informal way. These are the 11 artists coming from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, UK, France & Germany. And have a range of practices from fine arts to performative. Their main exhibition space is a typical white box with has white walls and wood flooring. I created an art atlas that documents different types of mediums and display types that the artists have used in the past.
Through dogma drawings of key serial views and my anthropological findings, I identified two spatial situations that I felt were good places for exhibition design interventions: station room and platform glassbox. The station room is located on the ground floor of the station entrance. I want to work in the station room because not only is it a central space that all passengers must pass through but it's also the threshold between the transit and gallery experiences. In my observations, I also noticed more inhabited variations occur where it’s not just a corridor but also a performative space for the gallery. And to contextualize, I noted the closed main art wall as having the potential for opening up for the gallery to offer more connection with passerbyers. And for the second spatial situation, I chose the elevator glass box perhaps for the opposite reason in that it felt more underused, a bit dead and sometimes used for some perhaps disagreeable activities. People use the glassbox for the elevator and are more often using the bench rather than stand in the corner where there have been visual signs of urination and smells of beer. And in this contextualized layer, it's also something to note that this space is a glass box and can be seen from various angles but still adds protection to the elements.
For my proposal concept, Sydhavn Station Gallery would be the main host stakeholder continuing to manage its own exhibitions in the station hall whilst also collaborating with guest stakeholders in contributing to the cultural development with the wider Sydhavn community. In the platform space, the gallery can work with Sydhavn Theather’s St.Art collective which focuses on developing young artists working in the public space. And with a partner like the Enter Art Fair, pop-up events could offer financial support and exposure to a wider audience in return. As for the more everyday experiences, a more transparent and engaging gallery will invite more residents to the local cultural conversations and passing DSB passengers will have moments of cultural awareness of what happens in Sydhavn. Through not only my research on considerations of safety and security in public transit spaces but also my analysis of how people move and use the station, I decided for each spatial situation to have a focus on particular forms of art. The station room would be more for showcasing the different gallery artists’ mediums but experienced in passing with a bit of a distanced or removed gaze. And the platform glassbox would be an immersive digital installation space that people can step into while they wait for their next train.
In order to articulate this open system concept, I’ve designed around three scenarios which exemplify how this open system could be appropriated differently. The first scenario opens up the wall between the gallery and station room and builds a display system for the Gallery’s monthly exhibitions. In the second scenario, the Platform Glassbox would be used as a public exhibition space for young artists specializing in video, performance and digital art. And for the third scenario, a pop-up for Enter Art Fair takes over both in the station room and the glass box as a free satellite art space that utilizes the station as a shuttle stop for attendees of the Enter Art Fair. Of course, all these scenarios wouldn’t be happening all at once. The gallery could continue their monthly exhibition cadence while the glassbox could change out quarterly. And pop-ups can occur on more special occasions.
In the design development, part of the challenge was space planning in these public spaces where easy and efficient movement is imperative. So I thought less of obstructing paths but perhaps catching the gaze or creating side niches. Form development not only explored flexible display options but also considerations of safety and security. Inhabiting the designs with art from the gallery helped me understand how to account for different mediums but also what types wouldn’t work as well in this kind of public space.
In the new proposal plans, the wall between the gallery and station room are opened up and inserted are wedge walls that have sliding panels and display cases for exhibiting art. The pathway leaves a 5.4m clearance for foot traffic. As for the glassbox, the corner becomes a separate space in which artists can work with. An enclosure for a tv screen is added but still allows for a 2.2m space. The reused metal poster frame slots from the station room are also attached to the exterior of the glassbox on the window metal frames.
In the first scenario, you can see an example of a print exhibition from a Sydhavn Station artist using the sliding panels of the wedge walls. Instead of a linear repetition, artists now have the option of layering and varying the scales of their works. In terms of materiality, I referenced the existing wood ceiling slats and metal framing which blends with the space so the focus is more on the art whilst still understanding that you’re in the station room. In this view, you can see a use of the lenticular effect in that instead of seeing everything immediately at once, more art is revealed as you walk through the space. By the time you reach the end, you are introduced to the branded Cobalt Blue color that designates the gallery as a separate entity to the DSB red.
In the section view, you can get a sense of the heights of the added wedge walls with proportions with the windows. You can also see how the panels can be removed to reveal display windows.The option of opening or closing the display windows allows for the gallery to curate the exhibition in different ways. Some artists may only work with print, some may want to have this type of museum-like experience while others might want to disrupt that linear rhythm. Here you can see a detail of how the sliding panels and how the profile has the possibility for two configurations for either flat or raised pieces of work. In this isometric view, you can see that the wedge walls open up to the gallery and workspace. The back panels of the display cases hinge open from the workspace for the artists to inhibit with their pieces. It also offers additional storage space for the workspace.
In the second scenario, the corner of the platform glassbox would be used for video installations with St.Art artists. You can see how the cobalt blue brings attention inside through the often glared windows during the day. You can also see an example of the reused metal frames on the exterior of the glassbox. In the section view you can see that passengers can view from the outside while they wai. In this section you can see that the flooring of the corner is slightly raised and with a gradual slope so that people don’t trip on a step. In this isometric view you can see how the corner is protected by the glassbox wall and is a safe space for people to be immersed in an experience without risk of falling into the tracks. A looping video on a tv screen would be playing in a boxed enclosure. And in this view, you can see that posters can be seen from all around and inviting passengers to view the different video narratives. Also a freestanding display offers information about the artists and installation. Here’s a detail of the installation space. I thought a ceiling panel can rest on the wood enclosure and also be held up with beam clamps to the slat ceiling. The enclosure would hinge on the left inside and be opened from the right side of the enclosure.
And for the final scenario, Sydhavn Station could partner with Enter Art Fair and be a free and public satellite space for their Enter Digital section which focuses on digital art. The display cases can house tv screens or projections from individual artists and the gallery could have their own exhibition in their space for the event. And for the platform glassbox, Enter Digital can host an immersive AR experience that people can step into without risk of falling onto the tracks. With many passengers already on their phones in these liminal spaces, digital sculptures could be alternatives to permanent physical public works.
This semester, I explored my position as a spatial designer particularly with my background in graphic design and art direction. And how I can challenge or harness the prevalence of advertising in what Marc Auge terms as non-places. And find potential in how transit stations can lead to more cultural incentives to taking public transportation. Some key takeaways that have inspired me during this process is this idea of digital experiences in movement. How temporary or changing interventions can include more people rather than perhaps a single artistic permanent gesture. And also, continuing to advocate varied cultural conversations and perspectives. For my thesis, I’m planning to continue my investigations with transit stations, however with a bigger cultural institution - thinking about exhibition design for the Enigma Museum in the adjacent Tringlen Metro station.
Special thanks to my tutor Ane Pilegaard for her guidance during the semester. Also, thanks to Sydhavn Station Gallery for their participation in my research.
Semester 3: Positioning (FW2024)