Nearly 25 years after its opening, Tate Modern, London’s museum of modern and contemporary art on the Southbank, continues to captivate audiences worldwide. Renowned as one of the most popular, engaging, and accessible institutions of its kind, Tate Modern has redefined what an art museum can be in the 21st century. Each year, millions of tourists and locals alike freely explore its galleries, discovering some of the world’s most influential artworks alongside a broad range of new, contemporary, and thought-provoking exhibitions. Needless to say, the quarter-century celebrations for this beloved institution will be spectacularly lively.
Installation photography, Mark Rothko's Seagram Murals at Tate Modern, 2009
From 9-12 May 2025, Tate Modern will mark its anniversary with a weekend full of activities. Day and night, visitors can enjoy live music and performances, pop-up talks and tours, a drop-in making studio part of Uniqlo Tate Play, and special food and drink offerings - all inspired by Tate Modern’s free collection. New acquisitions, as well as returning works that have traveled the globe, will be showcased throughout the museum.
Louise Bourgeois, Maman, Tate Modern, 2000
Maman, the 10m-tall bronze spider sculpture by Louise Bourgeois that welcomed the museum’s first visitors in the Turbine Hall in May 2000, will return in all its monumental glory – this time guiding guests along a path of 25 significant and symbolic artworks installed around the institution. Reflecting Tate Modern’s boundary-pushing spirit, this capsule collection spans painting, film, live performance, and more. Highlights include Mark Rothko’s Seagram murals, 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 Meschac Gaba’s installation.
Ayoung Kim Delivery Dancer's Sphere 2022 and Evening Peak Time is Back 2022
Nalini Malani, In Search of Vanished Blood 2012-20. Installation photo, Nalini Malani, The rebellion of the Dead, Castello di Rivoli-Museo d'Arte.
Installation view, Meschac Gaba, Art and Religion Room From Museum of Contemporary African Art 2013.
In addition, two new free exhibitions will open in time for the museum’s birthday, reaffirming Tate Modern’s forward-looking commitment to critically examining some of the world’s most pressing challenges. ‘A Year in Art: 2050’ explores how artists have envisioned possible futures – from early 20th-century Italian Futurist sculptures to contemporary computer-generated animations – while ‘Gathering Ground’ delves into the profound connections between contemporary art, land, and community at a time when ecological crises and social justice remain urgent global concerns.
Mark your calendars and join in celebrating this important milestone in London’s art world.
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