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How did you celebrate your 25th birthday? Eight lagers, four sambuccas and a whole heap of regret? Same. But Tate Modern isn’t like us, and it’s celebrating its birthday in a far more refined way.
To mark the anniversary of the opening of what is apparently the world’s most popular modern and contemporary art museum, Tate Modern is bringing back Louise Bourgeois’ iconic ‘Maman’ sculpture. The monumental metallic spider, standing at 10 metres tall, was the first work to greet visitors in the then new Turbine Hall, and now it’s coming back to launch a trail of 25 newly installed artworks (to celebrate 25 years, obviously) placed around the museum.
That trail will include the return of arguably the most important work in Tate’s collection, Mark Rothko’s Seagram murals, which will be coming back from their holiday at Tate St Ives. Other pieces in the trail will include Dorothea Tanning’s ‘Eine Kleine Nachtmusik’, an immersive multi-screen film installation by Nalini Malani and a series of live tarot readings staged as part of an installation by Meschac Gaba.
It’s not quite vomiting on the carpet in a Wetherspoons after your umpteenth turbo shandy, but we all celebrate our birthdays in our own ways.
Tate Modern turns 25, May 9-12 2025. More details here.
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