Tate Starts Building $346 Million Wing With 75% of Funds Raised
Construction has started on a 215 million-pound ($346 million) new wing of Tate Modern, the London museum that was once a power station, with three-quarters of the money raised, Tate Director Nicholas Serota said.
The new Tate 2 wing was due to open this year, in time for the 2012 London Olympics. The opening was postponed because of a funding shortage, with the board of trustees holding back construction until enough cash was raised.
Now, with more than 160 million pounds in the pot, the work has begun.
“We intend to move steadily ahead,” Serota said at a news conference announcing the artistic program for disused oil tanks in the Tate Modern building. “You’ll see two cranes that were recently erected to help us move forward.”
Referring to Tate 2’s new opening date of 2016 at the latest, Serota said, “My guess is, it’ll be sooner than that.”
“The new building arises out of the tanks,” he said. “We’ve started building the upper part, or foundations for the upper parts.”
The arena-shaped tanks, which were previously used to store oil for electricity generation in the building, will open temporarily for a 15-week festival of live art, performance, installation and film work. The festival runs July 18 to 28 October and coincides with the London Olympic Games.
The tanks will be reopened “periodically” over the next couple of years for art programs, Serota said.
Visible Platform
“It’s about giving a visible platform to this art form, treating it in exactly the same way as we treat painting, sculpture and other visual arts,” he said.
According to Tate, the tanks are “the world’s first museum galleries permanently dedicated to exhibiting live art, performance, installation and film works.”
Highlights of the 15-week festival are a performance by choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker of her 1982 work “Fase” (July 18 to 20). Eddie Peake, an artist who once choreographed a soccer game for naked players, has been commissioned to make a work exploring sexuality and voyeurism.
Tate 2 is designed by architects Herzog & De Meuron.
Today’s Muse highlights include Jeremy Gerard on theater and John Mariani on wine.
To contact the writer on the story: Farah Nayeri at farahn@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Manuela Hoelterhoff in New York at mhoelterhoff@bloomberg.net.
Tate Modern
Tate Photography via Bloomberg
The exterior of Tate Modern in London.
The exterior of Tate Modern in London. Source: Tate Photography via Bloomberg
South Tank
Peter Saville/Hayes Davidson/Herzog & de Meuron/Tate via Bloomberg
The South Tank at Tate Modern in London, which was previously a power station. Two of the building's disused oil tanks are being converted into spaces for performance art and film, and a 15-week festival is being held there this year.
The South Tank at Tate Modern in London, which was previously a power station. Two of the building's disused oil tanks are being converted into spaces for performance art and film, and a 15-week festival is being held there this year. Photographer: Peter Saville/Hayes Davidson/Herzog & de Meuron/Tate via Bloomberg
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