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Serena Korda: The Answer Lies at the End of the Line

Artist seeks crossword enthusiasts for collaboration with art project

London Underground’s (LU) art programme Art on the Underground has commissioned contemporary artist Serena Korda, whose work is often inspired by local and personal histories, to create an artwork especially for Stanmore Underground station.

Stanmore, at the end of the Jubilee Line, was once home to an outpost of Bletchley Park, where codebreakers famously worked to decipher German messages during the Second World War. It is said that Bletchley Park codebreakers had to be able to solve the Daily Telegraph crossword in less than twelve minutes.

Contemporary artist Serena Korda, whose work is often inspired by this type of social history, has been commissioned by London Underground’s (LU) art programme Art on the Underground to create an artwork especially for Stanmore Underground station.

Inspired by the idea of codes solved at Bletchley Park and the role of crosswords in the recruitment of the codebreakers, Korda met with people from community groups in Stanmore and has compiled a range of words that relate to these groups. hasmet with people from community groups in Stanmore and has compiled a range of words that relate to these groups..community groups she has met in Stanmore. She is looking for crossword enthusiasts to help create clues for them and invites them to join The Crossword Club.

The Crossword Club aims to assemble crosswords that represent today’s community in different communities within Stanmore, and will form an important part of the artwork on display at Stanmore station, The Answer Lies at the End of the Line.

Tamsin Dillon, Director of Art on the Underground says: “We’re delighted to have commissioned Serena Korda and that she is developing such an intriguing project – through her work at Stanmore I'm sure she will bring together a diverse group of people who may be surprised by what they also can contribute to this Art on the Underground project.”

Serena Korda says: “Crosswords have a long and rich connection with London Underground – they were also used to entertain people sheltering in the Tube during the Blitz. Today, many customers spend their journeys solving crosswords and other puzzles. I wanted to use crosswords and what they may reveal as a glimpse into crosswords and what they may reveal this idea as a glimpse into way of bringing together local communities in Stanmore and working with them to make a new artwork.”

Those interested in taking part in Serena Korda’s Crossword Club should contact 020 7027 8694 or email . The Crossword Club will meet weekly from 2pm on Monday 25 February at Bernays Memorial Hall (Glebe Road entrance), 25 The Broadway, Stanmore, Middlesex HA7 4DA.

Notes to editors

  • Art on the Underground is London Underground’s (LU) art programme, producing high calibre artworks in unexpected places on the network, enhancing the millions of journeys made every day. It aims to promote a greater understanding of the Tube as a cultural and social environment through the creative commissioning of artworks.
  • SerenaKorda has been working with community groups including Stanmore Choral Society, the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital staff and Bletchley Park Stanmore Veterans.
  • Serena Korda was born in Wembley in 1979, London. Serena studied. She studied Fine Art at Middlesex University and has since been . On graduating in 2001 she was awarded a First Base studio from ACAVA. In 2005 she received an early career Arts Admin Bursary. As well as exhibiting sculpture and performance in the UK. Since 2004, she has been U.K Serena has been making site specific works that engages with communities, s since 2004. These projects are site specific responding to the social history of an area and the personal histories of people she encounters. through her research. Recent exhibitions and projects include “The Library of Secrets: Whitstable” Whitstable Biennale 2007, “Intransit” Chelsea Physic Garden 2007, "Worlds End Estate Book Club Debate!" Chelsea Theatre 2006 and, "walkwalkwalk" Camden Arts Centre 2006, "Frenzy- L'art decoratif de aujourd'hui" Metropole Galleries 2006, "The Library of Secrets" Great Eastern Hotel 2006, "Walk Walk Walk: an archaeology of the familiar and the forgotten" Design History conference 2005, "Ceremony" The Pump House 2005, "Tattoo" The Customs House 2005, “TEA” The Happy Sailor 2005, “I can see my way home” SpaceX 2004, “Old Mens Flesh” Bow Festival 2004.. She runs workshops at major contemporary art galleries including the Serpentine Gallery and Camden Arts Centre, and has also worked with sex offenders in Wandsworth Prison and with women in the mother and baby unit of Holloway Prison.
  • For moree information about Art on the Underground, please visit

Serena Korda – Claudia – can you supply a cv / biographical info please so I can write a paragraph about her here?

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