Railway Systems: Aesthetics and Institutions

Trains and railway systems have long shaped our landscapes, functioning not only as industrial infrastructures but also as living canvases for autonomous practices such as graffiti writing. Yet, despite their central role in urban imaginaries, they remain marginal within the institutional discourse on “street” and “urban” art.

This evening, Jens Besser, Nicolas Ciarlone, and THWRB3AT will open a discussion on how these infrastructures can be reimagined as legitimate sites for artistic and cultural engagement. Their recent publications provide the starting point: TOPOLOGISMS (THWRB3AT, 2025), which explores the topological aesthetics of European railway infrastructures through geospatial documentation; PADiGLiONE iN MOViMENTO (Besser, 2025), presenting the first Venice Biennale pavilion dedicated to illegal train painting; and Lines & Numbers (ASRT editions, 2023), edited by Prof. Harry Breda-Beck, which examines the reduced color schemes and unique aesthetics of freight trains in Europe.

📚 Railway Systems: Aesthetics and Institutions – Talk & Book Presentation
🗓 Friday, November 7, 2025 | 🕕 From 6 PM
📍 Le Grand Jeu Bookstore