Thursday, May 13, 2010

Tate Modern is 10

Maman, Louise Bourgeois's Spider outside the entrance to Tate Modern

The Bankside Power Station that became Tate Modern and the most popular contemporary/modern art gallery in the UK and the 5th most popular art gallery in the world is now 10 years old.  

This post was supposed to have alliteration in the title Today Tate Modern is Ten but I was incredibly distracted yesterday by all the comings and goings in Downing Street as the new coalition government fired up and started to motor!

The benefit of writing a day later is I get to reference all the plaudits about the Tate Modern.

Artists creating Street Art on the walls of Tate Modern
copyright Katherine Tyrrell

You can see what the Tate Kids got up to on their blog Tate Kids

Due to its popularity and draw as a tourist attraction / contributor to the London economy there is a project to transform Tate Modern which you can read about on the website by clicking the link.  Soon there will be a lot more Tate Modern!

Tate Modern is also a really great place from which to sketch St Pauls and the City of London skyline - see From Bankside to the City of London - the view from Tate Modern.

I also very much enjoy sketching the crowds who linger on the grass during the summer as can be seen in People watching and sketching - outside Tate Modern and Sketching Tate Modern people

I'm sat here wondering how the imminent public spending cuts (to address the mega deficit) will affect the Arts and places like Tate Modern.  One has to conclude that this is a museum which has really helped to regenerate the economy - witness its impact on the South Bank and North Southwark.

In an age where we've seen some pretty draconian measures taken by museums worldwide, I think the Tate will survive and continue to lead on contemporary art into the future.

See also: 

1 comment:

  1. Wonderful commentary...should I be in England, I would love to visit the Tate Modern!

    ReplyDelete

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