By Lakshmi: (Updated September 15, 2014)
Who? Anyone who is visiting Malmo, Sweden’s third largest city or is transiting through Malmo’s Central Station.
What? The video landscapes on display on the platform walls.
How? Malmo’s Central Station is centrally located to start or end all journeys into town.
Why? I arrived early to catch a train from Malmo to Gothenburg and with lunch and a drink in tow decided to wait on the platform for the train. And that’s when it caught my attention. There was no train at the platform, but instead I saw a series of moving landscapes on the wall. At first, it seemed a bit strange. It was almost like I was sitting in a train watching the landscape pass by through the windows…except I was not on a train and yet had this visual illusion. After overcoming my slightly confused state, I started recognizing some of the world landmarks on display. Turns out that what I was witnessing was artiste Tania Ruiz Gutiérrez’s video installation intended to show waiting passengers visuals that they would see on train journeys around the world. It is actually a very creative work of art which draws in the viewer, engages them and puts them in a frame of mind to enjoy their train journey.
I was surprised that soon after my return home from Sweden, the NY times featured my accidental discovery as a “to do” in Malmo. Another fact I learnt from the same article is that you can take the train every day for five years and not repeat a scene displayed! You can read more about this art installation at
a global affair 