800 works by over 300 artists from over 50 countries from China to Sudan, 10 floors for a £260 million project. The New Tate Modern will open its new extension on 17 June 2016.
The new Switch House building is designed by architects Herzog & de Meuron and it increases the size of Tate Modern by 60%, offering a variety of experiences for visitors. In fact, the subterranean concrete oil tanks will be the first permanent museum space dedicated to live art, with live performances, video work, and two new performance commissions running daily through the opening.
Of course, art is at the heart of New Tate, but you cannot miss the 360-degree view from the 10th floor.
The Switch House displays tell the story of the changing role of artists, art objects and public from 1960 on.
The highlight of Level 1, located on the bridge that connects the Switch House with the Boiler House (the original building), is a monumental sculpture consisting of parts of trees gathered from across Ai Weiwei‘s native China.
Level 2 includes works from 1900 onward, where artists explore the relationship between the work of art and the environment. On this floor you can also find Yayoi Kusama‘s The Passing Winter, a cube completely lined with mirrors and holes creating kaleidoscopic visions.
On Level 3 there is a work by Marina Abramovic (Rhythm 0, a table with 72 objects including a copy of Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera), and two parrots. Brazilian artist Hélio Oiticica featured two macaws, brilliantly coloured members of the parrot family, for his Tropicália. Tate has received specialist advice regarding their daily care.
Level 4 explores especially contemporary city life, with a special focus on migration, subculture and community. Visitors can explore different cities through the photos of Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen, Nil Yalter and Julie Mehretu, among others. The highlight of the floor is Artist rooms: Louise Bourgeois, with works of the artist whose visual language explored the complexity of life. The large-scale bronze spider made by the French artist welcomes visitors into the room.
