New artworks to enliven 40 MRT stations

SINGAPORE – New artwork will be added to 40 MRT stations along the North-South and East-West lines from 2026.

The first phase will see new installations at Bugis, Novena and Outram Park stations that will provide “uplifting experiences” for passengers visiting the major healthcare facilities in the vicinity of those stations, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Oct 21.

Raffles Hospital is in Bugis, Tan Tock Seng Hospital in Novena and Singapore General Hospital near Outram Park station.

This is part of the authority’s expansion of its Art In Transit programme to bring more vibrancy to stations. It has so far brought more than 500 artworks to 112 stations, according to LTA’s website.

Of the 40 stations in the expansion, 25 will showcase community-led projects, while the remaining 15 will be fitted with newly commissioned artworks that reflect the character of the respective neighbourhoods.

One was unveiled on Oct 21 by Minister of State for Transport Baey Yam Keng at Little India station to commemorate LTA’s 30th anniversary.

The painting at Little India station, by local artist Yeo Siak Goon, showcases the area’s heritage, as well as the nation’s transport evolution over the years, added the authority.

The mural, measuring 2.1m by 12.6m, incorporates the colloquial Hokkien name of Little India “tek kah” – which translates to “at the foot of the bamboos” – by placing bamboo in the foreground of the artwork, and glimpses of scenes from the colonial era in the background.

Involving the use of acrylic paint on canvas as well as high-resolution scanning and digital printing on aluminium panels, the work took Mr Yeo five months to complete.

Mr Baey said: “This reminds us of how public transit spaces, like our MRT stations, where millions of commuters pass by every day, can be a place where people connect – not just to go to their destinations, but also form connections with the locality, the stories behind them, the rich heritage and history behind the different places.”

is also featured in the artwork as a landmark in the area.

The authority set up its headquarters at the former Kandang Kerbau Hospital there in 1998 – three years after LTA was formed in 1995.

Also launched was an interactive digital guide for some of the art in the stations.

The digital guide, launched in partnership with arts and culture mobile app Bloomberg Connects, allows the public to explore the collection of artwork on the North East, Circle, Downtown and Thomson-East Coast lines on the app.

Passengers can also scan the QR codes on display with the artwork to access curated tours and in-depth stories, said LTA.

The authority said it will continue partnering the Singapore Art Museum, National Arts Council, visual art education charity Art Outreach, and School of the Arts (Sota) to weave art into transit spaces.

One of these collaborations is a guided walking trail of artwork at selected MRT stations curated by Sota students. It will be rolled out in March 2026.