All Aboard: Discover JR, The ‘Artivist’ & Photographer Using Trains As His Canvas

First there was TikTok railway enthusiast Francis Bourgeois, then came Tube Girl. Suddenly, Depop sellers began flogging TfL uniforms, supper clubs started springing up aboard old Tube carriages and now, you can party in disused London Underground stations. Recent times have borne witness to the unlikely resurgence of the train in popular culture, begging the question – what is it about this mode of transport that is piquing our collective interest?  

For French artist and photographer JR, it’s not a new phenomenon – his locomotive love affair has been lifelong. Describing himself as an “urban artivist”, JR is renowned for using city walls as his gallery – or, as he sees it, democratising art and attracting the attention of those who don’t typically frequent museums.  

His career began as a street artist in Paris, where he plastered guerilla-style installations of his photography across the city’s Metro network. Using trains as a “canvas”, JR quickly realised that they were “a way to make [his art] travel”. In his seminal work Women Are Heroes, the artist pasted images of women’s eyes atop train roofs in Nairobi’s Kiberia slum, combining art and action in a moving installation that shone a light on the stories of women who so often become primary victims in areas of conflict.  

For JR’s latest project, he’s partnered with Belmond to bring his devotion to the rails aboard the most iconic train in the world: the Venice-Simplon Orient Express. Tasked with designing the interiors of a whole new carriage for the historic long-distance passenger train, JR becomes the first-ever artist to take on the challenge – an opportunity he “never dared to imagine” could happen.  

Titled L’Observatoire, a first peek inside the grand suite was granted to a short window of attendees at this year’s Venice Biennale – its eye-shaped portholes providing a glimpse into the creative haven within. Careful to preserve the train’s pre-1945 look and feel, the artist breathed a new sense of wonder into century-old artisanal techniques, layering secret messages into intricate marquetry and readying the cabin with hidden compartments, a well-stocked library and even a secret tearoom. “There’s so much [inside] that will be impossible to explore in a single trip,” says JR.  

While the new carriage won’t be hitting the tracks until 2025, the train’s current configuration offers vintage glamour aplenty and one unforgettable ride. Owing a good deal of infamy to Agatha Christie’s titular novel, Belmond’s iteration of the Orient Express lives up to every expectation of elegance and drama (minus the murder, of course). There’s the decadence of sipping champagne at 11am as Venice’s waters fade into flora, and the glory of guilt-free afternoons spent savouring the Art Deco surrounds. Not to mention lavish four-course fine dining served over moonlit Lake Como, or couture gowns and live music in the Bar Car ‘3674’. 

For those seeking a more accessible ticket to ride, you can discover the same magic aboard the sister train to the VSOE, the British Pullman. This season’s newly introduced journeys include immersive onboard cabaret performances, routes to the British seaside, and day trips to some of England’s leading winemakers.  

Discover more about Belmond train journeys here  

Ella Marlow-Gilks is Social Media Manager at Service95