Tate Modern - May 2008

Where? – Tate Modern, Bankside, London

When? – May 2008

What’s the story? – If you’ve ever been to Tate Modern, you’d be forgiven for thinking that this photograph shows yet another strange modern art installation of the type that gallery seemingly has an endless supply of; maybe some sort of mysterious blue grid light sculpture on a jet black background, executed in a stark and simple industrial style, possibly symbolising something profoundly deep or weirdly philosophical or completely nonsensical (or all three), and probably worth a not so small fortune should its up-and-coming creator really become an art world superstar.

I would not have been at all surprised if you had guessed something along those lines. That would have been a good guess – but you’d have been wrong, because this photograph actually shows something just a little bit more ordinary and mundane than that.

But only just a little bit.

In fact this image, taken at dusk in the early summer of 2008, actually shows part of the ceiling of the main Turbine Hall at Tate Modern, which is a remarkable space in and of itself – indeed, it must easily be the biggest art space in London at a massive thirty five feet in height and 152 feet in length. In other words, that’s about five stories high and about 3,400 square metres of floor space, which ultimately means room for a lot of art.

But back in the days long before the presence of any art in the vicinity, when the building was the Bankside Power Station, the Turbine Hall had a very different function. Instead of the subdued chatter of tourists and art-lovers, the Turbine Hall would have been full of the noise of plant machinery. At the heart of this oil-fired power station on the banks of the Thames, the Turbine Hall was originally at the centre of the plant’s electricity production from its opening in the early 1950s right up until it was decommissioned in 1981, as a result of rising oil prices.

Almost as iconic a building as its neighbour down the river at Battersea, and a very visible reminder of London’s industrial history, Bankside Power Station lay unused, derelict and at risk from developers until 1994, when it was announced that the Tate had bought the building and planned to turn it into a new gallery to house its ever-expanding modern art collection.

Tate Modern finally opened in 2000 and was an instant hit with Londoners and tourists alike – so much so that now, a mere nine years later, plans are already being made to extend and expand the gallery to allow for the huge numbers of visitors who pass through every year, although the planned extension is already controversial.

The use of the Turbine Hall for extremely large and specially commissioned installations (like this one), and other one-off artistic events has been very popular – in fact, it was at one such event that the photograph above was taken; aptly enough during a presentation of the American photographer Nan Goldin’s famous slide projection, The Ballad of Sexual Dependency in May of 2008.

It is the ability of this remarkable building to reinvent itself (within a city that also continually reinvents itself) which is so fascinating to me. Personally, I love the idea that here is a gallery which can in itself be defined and interpreted as art, just as much as the works it contains can, and despite the fact that it was never actually built as a showcase for anything other than electricity production.

So yes, it is Art – on a grand scale. To me, anyway.

Eddie Tap is a london enthusiast who writes for the london air tickets site

If you are planning to visit London why not try visiting the following must-see places?

First stop is the British Museum at Great Russell Street. The British Museum’s art collection includes artworks from all over the world. The British Museum houses the Rosetta stone, sculptures from Parthenon, and the Portland Vase. The British Museum is considered as one of the best in the world and it was established in 1753 via the Act of Parliament. The first collections were from Sir Hans Sloane. The daily gallery tours, special exhibitions, and guided tours are some of the special offers from this world-renowned museum.

Next destination is the Tate Museum, where you can find contemporary and modern art. Works from Picasso, Pollock, Warhol, Rothko, Bonnard, Dali, Matisse, and C้zanne can be found in this museum. Located at the former locations of Bankside Power Station and near the banks of the Thames is the Tate Museum.

Another museum that you should not miss is the National Gallery at Trafalgar Square. This museum boasts of having some of best European paintings. The number of paintings that you can find at the National Gallery of London range from 1250 to 1900. These paintings include those made by Botticelli, Cezanne, Leonardo da Vinci, Gainsborough, Rembrandt, Turner, and Van Gogh . This museum also offers audio-visual and video programs, guided tours, holiday events (children and adults) , lectures, and special exhibitions.

The next destination is at Cromwell Road, another museum called the Natural History Museum. Some of the tallest, biggest, and rarest animals can be found here. Also on display is a 40-year old spider, earthquake simulators , elephant bird egg, and life-sized Blue Whale model. Children and adults alike will also enjoy the interactive exhibits on Creepy-Crawlies, Dinosaurs, Ecology, Human Biology, Investigate, Mammals, and The Power Within.

London Eye, an observation wheel that gives a breathtaking view of London, is another place you shouldn’t miss. For groups of 15 or more, discounts are offered.

After the London Eye ride, you may want to visit the Science Museum at Exhibition Road. Some of the scientific achievements that man has made within the past 300 years can be experienced here. Afterwards, you can drop by at the Victoria & Albert Museum of art and design. Located at SouthKensington, the museum showcases a large collection of Italian Renaissance sculpture among other artworks.

If you want to encounter famous and historical personalities, you should visit Madame Tussauds at Marylebone Road. Among other personalities, you will find Kylie, the Dalai Lama, and Shakespeare here. Then, visit the Tower of London, the place that has held many famous prisoners more than 500 years ago.

Last destination is the National Maritime Museum, where several trophies and models from other places in the world can be found. Children will surely enjoy the All Hands gallery and the professional ship simulator.

Don’t wait and hurry!? Go and visit London now!

Battersea Power Station – Sir Giles Gilbert Scott – 1933 (completed 1957)

Well, what a fun morning I had on saturday – I finally made it to one of the open days of the Battersea Power Station site! A rare opportunity indeed. If you can possibly make it you should try and get along this saturday (Aug 23rd) between 10am and 5pm – it may be the last chance you get to see it this close up for a long while.

Just a word of warning though, if you’re a dog you probably won’t be allowed closer than I am in this piccie (above) – I had to get special permission (in my professional capacity as representative of Dog and Deco) to get into the site, and as you will see I took Health and Safety Exec guidelines very seriously, sporting a not-so-sexy fluorescent vest throughout my site visit. 

For more info see the website: www.battersea-powerstation.com 

turbine hall

(not a very good photo I’m afraid – I was very distracted by the bit of sausage I found just here – but the turbine hall is so special I thought it worthy of inclusion anyway)

north elevation

north elevation

main boiler house

staircase (adjacent to north west chimney)

a very smug mutt!

Bankside – 1947 – Sir Giles Gilbert Scott

This is our first post, but do expect all sorts of delicious doggified twentieth century acrchitectural treats to come!