If you’re travelling through Westminster on the London Underground anytime soon you might notice something unusual about the network’s iconic logo. The roundel has been reconceived by London-based Ghanaian artist Larry Achiampong, with a range of different designs found in seventy sites throughout the station. Foregoing the traditional red and blue for a more vibrant palette that speaks to Pan Africanism, the artist’s new interpretations are based on his concept of “sanko-time”. This theory has its roots in science fiction and takes its name from the Ashanti word “sanfoka”, which alludes to the idea of going back for what is left behind, and using the future to prepare for the past. Achiampong’s Art on the Underground commission feeds into a larger ongoing project titled Relic Traveller, which considers issues of migration, displacement, nationhood and post-colonialism through a variety of forms, from performance to moving image and prose. The artist states: “To be given the opportunity to create an artwork that opens up questions around history and contemporary society, whilst celebrating the innumerable stories that have passed through this city feels timely and important. It is a legacy that I am proud to be part of.”
