Tate Modern in general

The building of the Tate Modern was a truly incredible project. Strictly speaking not built from scratch but rejuvenated from the gutted shell of the Bankside power station. The Tate Modern is part of a larger regeneration scheme going on, on the south bank and is the flagship project from that area. The Bankside building is relatively unremarkable from the outside, a very Modernist structure built for function rather than aesthetic beauty, though I think it has a minimal elegance, a functional and economical simplicity of design which makes it an Icon of a previous industrial age, and an excellent choice for a repository of 20th C and contemporary art. I t was built as ...

Visiting London recently we strolled along the Thames ? really to view illusionist David Blane suspended above the river. As we made our way along the calm river on the very sunny and very hot day, we came across a building with a ?Bertie Bassett? type inflatable model outside. Totally black the inflatable model was almost as tall as the 7 floored building behind it ? the Tate modern. I?m not the type of person who is usually attracted to art museums, but as we spied the single word that changed my mind ? ?FREE? the decision was made to go and see it on the way back. After seeing Mr Blane in his Perspex box now hanging away from the Thames, surrounded ...

Immediately after its opening Tate Modern became the most visited modern art gallery in the world beating its nearest rivals the Pompidou Centre in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Who are these people? Are dooyooers among them? A first survey revealed the following confessions: “I think I’ll stick to Tate Britain, I’m not courageous enough for Tate Modern” (an occasional visitor to London); “Ermh, no, haven’t been.” (a Londoner); “Didn’t know it existed.” (a country pumpkin). Well, it does exist, the Queen declared it open on 11th May, 2000. It has a longer history, ...