Are you the sort of person who takes photos of every Tube station labyrinth? This app might help.
Do you know about the Tube labyrinths? Every station has one; all 272 of them.
The labyrinths were created in 2013 by artist Mark Wallinger, as part of the 150th anniversary celebrations of the London Underground. Each one has a different pattern, and each is individually numbered from 1 to 272.
'Collecting' the labyrinths is a surprisingly common pastime. Some set out to photograph the designs methodically; others (like myself) collect them ad hoc, whenever we happen to chance across one.
To do this, you need some way of keeping track. Personally, I cross them off on a Tube map, and upload my photos to a dedicated folder on Flickr.
Now, there's an easier way.
Ryan Dobson has developed a free app for iPhone and Android that gives labyrinth-baggers all the tools they need to locate and document the art works.
Mind the Maze is really simple. You tick off each labyrinth as you discover it, and upload a photo. This releases some digital confetti, and unlocks three fun facts about the station. If you can't find a particular labyrinth (and some of them are quite well-hidden), then you can ask the app for a clue. Finally, all 'got' stations are displayed on a map with a different coloured map pin to the unclaimed stations. You can see at a glance where you still need to go.
It's a basic but very useful app... if 'useful' is the right word for the frivolous pursuit of wall-mounted labyrinths.
"What I’ve found fascinating," says Ryan, "is that there’s a small but enthusiastic community of people using the labyrinths as a reason to explore parts of London they’d never otherwise visit. Hunting them has taken us to stations, neighbourhoods and corners of the network we would have completely overlooked."
Incidentally, the order of the labyrinth numbers has a hidden meaning. They follow the sequence of stations on the optimal route of the Tube Challenge — the oft-attempted mission to visit every Underground station in one day.
The addition of Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station in 2023 was a slight hiccup to the system; rather than tack them on the end as numbers 271 and 272, they've been numbered 110a and 110b, so they're numerically adjacent to nearby Kennington (110).
Anyway, happy hunting!
Download Mind the Maze for free via links here.
