Press Release

Platform for Art unveils new pocket Tube Map cover

11 January 2007   

Platform for Art, London Underground’s (LU) art programme, has commissioned Liam Gillick, who was shortlisted for the Turner Prize in 2002, to produce the latest cover for the new pocket Tube map.

The new design which is now available free from Tube stations, will be the front cover for the pocket Tube map in the first part of 2007. Each year, London Underground distributes 15 million copies of this map to passengers.

Gillick’s innovative new design for the world famous Tube map entitled The Day Before (You Know What They’ll Call It? They’ll Call it the Tube) is written in twelve different sets of colourful letters to symbolise the twelve lines which make up the Tube network.

The design shows the words of the date of the last day in London without London’s famous Underground network: Friday 9 January 1863. London Underground commenced services the following day on 10 January 1863 between Paddington and Farringdon.

Artist Liam Gillick was shortlisted in 2002 for the Turner prize in recognition of his solo exhibition The Wood Way at the Whitechapel Art Gallery and for his outdoor installation Annlee You Proposes at Tate Britain.

In 2003, he received a joint commission from Platform for Art and Frieze Art Fair to create a set of posters that were displayed at Great Portland Street Tube station.  These had strong single colours and text in simple typography.

Previous Pocket Tube map covers have been designed by famous artists such as Yinka Shonibare MBE, Emma Kay and David Shrigley.