The subway lines U1, U2 and U3 are Vienna's "art lines". For over 20 years, works of art have been placed in many stations to make the stops more attractive. 1.5 million people visit the subway stations every day and are able to enjoy the art.
International artists such as Ken Lum, Nam June Paik and Anton Lehmden as well as Austrian masters like Gottfried Kumpf have provided works - ranging from modern installations to wall murals and sculptures. Perhaps the best-known subway work in Vienna is "Nature in the Making" (Das Werden der Natur) by Anton Lehmden at the U3 station Volkstheater: The Big Bang and the formation of nature are depicted on three giant walls. Four million mosaic stones were affixed over an area of 360 m².
In total, more than 20 artworks can now be viewed in Vienna's subway system. And the next project is already in preparation: By 2013, the Karlsplatz passage will be renovated and redesigned - with a 70 meter long art installation ...
In addition to the art projects, excavations can also be seen in several stations on the U1 and U3 lines, in some cases from Roman times. And many subway stations are works of art in their own right, such as the U4 and U6 stations designed by the master architect Otto Wagner around the turn of the 20th century.
Information about art & culture in the Vienna subway system
Book tip:
"Wiener U-Bahn-Kunst. Moderne Kunstwerke. Archäologische Funde. Zeitlose Architektur" (Vienna Subway Art. Modern Artworks. Archeological Finds. Timeless Architecture)
Published by Wiener Linien, Vienna 2011.
