The Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall has hosted 22 significant art installations since 2000, including works by renowned artists. The fate of each commission varies: some are retained by Tate, some returned to artists, and others designed solely for their time in the hall. Their legacies highlight the intersection of contemporary art with public space and audience engagement.
The Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall has been home to 22 innovative installations since its inception, showcasing works from renowned artists like Louise Bourgeois, Ai Weiwei, and Anish Kapoor. These commissions have ranged from immersive sculptures to unique performances, each transforming the vast industrial space in significant ways. After these installations conclude, their fates differ: some return to the artists, a few become part of Tate’s permanent collection, and others are designed as temporary exhibits with no future home. This article highlights the journey of each commission, detailing when they were displayed and what remains of them today. Here’s a brief overview of notable installations: 1. Louise Bourgeois: I Do, I Undo, I Redo (2000) – Spider acquired by Tate; towers not exhibited again. 2. Juan Muñoz: Double Bind (2001) – Returned to artist, shown in Milan and Lleida. 3. Anish Kapoor: Marsyas (2002) – Site-specific, not re-erected. 4. Olafur Eliasson: The Weather Project (2003) – Not restaged, components discarded. 5. Bruce Nauman: Raw Materials (2004) – Acquired by Tate, restaged in 2017. 6. Rachel Whiteread: EMBANKMENT (2005) – Boxes recycled post-exhibition. 7. Carsten Höller: Test Site (2006) – Slides dismantled, components reused. 8. Doris Salcedo: Shibboleth (2007) – Crack remains as part of the hall. 9. Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster: TH.2058 (2008) – Components disassembled. 10. Miroslaw Balka: How it is (2009) – Unlikely to be displayed again. 11. Ai Weiwei: Sunflower Seeds (2010) – Majority in storage; some sold at auction. 12. Tacita Dean: FILM (2011) – Acquired but not displayed. 13. Tino Sehgal: These Associations (2012) – Performance piece, not material. 14. Richard Tuttle: I Don’t Know (2014) – Not redisplayed since the show. 15. Abraham Cruzvillegas: Empty Lot (2015) – Disbanded after initial demonstration. 16. Philippe Parreno: Anywhen (2016) – Not restaged elsewhere. 17. SUPERFLEX: One Two Three Swing (2017) – Elements installed globally. 18. Tania Bruguera: 10,148,451 (2018) – Components returned, not redisplayed. 19. Kara Walker: Fons Americanus (2019) – Possibly set for destruction after its features in media. 20. Anicka Yi: In love With The World (2021) – Current status unknown. 21. Cecilia Vicuña: Brain Forest Quipu (2022) – Current status unknown. 22. El Anatsui: Behind the Red Moon (2023) – Current status unknown. The article will be updated annually to reflect the new commissions in the Turbine Hall.
The Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall has served as a significant platform for contemporary art, attracting large audiences with its innovative commissions. Since 2000, the hall has featured installations that not only utilise the space’s unique characteristics but also push the boundaries of artistic expression. While some artworks enjoy continued display as part of Tate’s collection, others vanish from the public eye once removed, and many are uniquely designed for the Turbine Hall’s context, limiting their future exhibitions. The installation journey showcases the transitional nature of contemporary art and its relationship with audiences and spaces.
The Turbine Hall at Tate Modern has been a canvas for groundbreaking art, presenting 22 commissions that range widely in concept and execution. While some remain part of Tate’s collection, many installations have ephemeral qualities, either returning to their artists or disappearing from the public realm entirely. Each work reflects an evolution in art practice, temporality, and viewer interaction, underscoring the dynamic between place and piece.
Original Source: londonist.com