Tate Modern Art Gallery
– Modern Art with a Sense of Humour
The Tate Modern art gallery is located on the South bank of the Thames, in a building that used to house the Bankside Power Station. The main entrance is the turbine room, an immense space 35 metres high and 152 metres long which allows the gallery to display large scale art installations that would otherwise need to be displayed out of doors.
The first such display was “Maman”, the breathtaking 9 metres high spider made of steel and marble by sculptor Louise Bourgeois that graced the turbine hall when the gallery opened its doors as part of the Millennial Celebration in 2000. The Tate Modern’s focus is international contemporary and modern art beginning in 1900. They have a collection on two main levels covering every movement in modern art from Fauvism onwards. There is a large exhibit devoted to abstract expressionism, with works by artists like Henri Matisse, Jackson Pollock, Anil Kapoor, and Claude Monet. There is an entire room devoted to Mark Rothko and his murals. Arte Povera, the radical and revolutionary side of modern art, is represented with works by Ana Mendieta, Alighiero Boetti, Jannis Kounellis, and others. There is a large display of Futurism, Cubism, and Pop Art by artists such as Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Eugene Atget, and Roy Lichtenstein. The Tate Modern has the finest museum collection of Surrealism including works by Joan Miro and Salvador Dali. The Turbine Hall houses large scale temporary exhibits every year. The Tate Modern’s extensive holdings has made is one of the most popular modern art museums in the world. It has millions of visitors a year and is often quite busy, but its scale and layout means there are usually places you can go to enjoy the art without the crowds. It is a great museum for children, they have many family programs and activities available, and the exhibits are usually quite fascinating to kids. There is a boat which runs between Tate Modern and its sister museum, the Tate Britain. It is painted in bright pointillist-style spots and is a fun way to see the sights. The Tate Modern art gallery is a success in all respects and should rate highly on your list of things to see.
Tate Modern Address: Bankside Power Station, 25 Sumner Street, Bankside, SE1 9TG Telephone: 020 7887 8888 Opening Times Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday 10am-6pm, Friday and Saturday 10am-10pm | Last admission into exhibitions 17:15 (Friday and Saturday 21:15). Pricing FREE (Adult), FREE (Child) | Special exhibitions prices vary.
Photo courtesy: iJammin
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