Our favourite art gallery has turned ten. Not only is the Tate Modern getting its much needed extension by Swiss duo Herzog and de Meuron -- works are already underway on site, right behind the main building -- but it has also been gearing up towards its tenth anniversary bash today. So, it's good news all around for the established London art space.
It seems like yesterday that a star-studded shortlist of architects - including Tadao Ando, David Chipperfield, Rafael Moneo, Renzo Piano and OMA - produced winners Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, a then relatively small and unknown firm, to mastermind the high profile old power station renovation in the mid-1990s.
Ten years later, over 45 million visitors have passed through the gallery's doors, turning it into one of the most visited art galleries in the world. It has since hosted 52 exhibitions, over 135 performances, around 400 film screenings, ten Unilever Commissions and one million school visits. Its celebrated 'Unilever Series' became a platform for much-discussed commissions by leading contemporary artists, such as Anish Kapoor, Olafur Eliasson and Louise Bourgeois.
Celebratory events include a special morning procession from Borough Market to the gallery of 150 local children; a band; cakes inspired by the building; and a free arts festival - an event in which 70 independent art spaces from around the world were invited to participate.
No proper birthday comes without a party, so be sure not to miss the late night openings on the 14th and 15th May, offering performances by, among others, DJ Spooky, Cosey Fanni Tutti, Temperatures, Jeffrey Lewis and Martin Creed and his band.
And for those of you who want to be part of the Tate legacy, the gallery is asking for your memories for a film about the Tate's story through the eyes of the public. To offer your input, visit the Tate's online blog, the Tate Modern Flickr Group, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
'Test Site', by Carsten Höller. Courtesy of Tate Photography
'Test Site', by Carsten Höller. Courtesy of Tate Photography
'Shibboleth', by Doris Salcedo, 2007. Courtesy of the artist
'Shibboleth', by Doris Salcedo, 2007. Courtesy of the artist
'Shibboleth', by Doris Salcedo, 2007. Courtesy of the artist
'The Weather Project' by Olafur Eliasson. Courtesy of Tate Photography, Marcus Leith/Andrew Dunkley
'The Weather Project' by Olafur Eliasson. Courtesy of Tate Photography
'Marsyas', by Anish Kapoor, 2002. Courtesy of Tate Photography
'Marsyas', by Anish Kapoor, 2002. Courtesy of Tate Photography
'Marsyas', by Anish Kapoor, 2002. Courtesy of Tate Photography
ADDRESS
Tate Modern
Bankside
London SE1 9TG
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