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Tate Modern Review

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Tate Modern

Address: Bankside, South Bank, London, SE1 9TG
Phone: 020/7887-8888
www.tate.org.uk/modern

Category: Museums/Galleries
Location: South Bank

Write a review | Avg. member rating: 4.2/5

Fodor's Review:

A working power station from 1947 to 1981, this hulking monolith of a building was all but derelict when the Tate adopted it as the home for their modern art collection in the late '90s. And what a magnificent transformation it has been. On permanent display in the galleries are classic works from 1900 to the present day, by Matisse, Picasso, Dalí, Moore, Bacon, Warhol, and the most-talked-about British upstarts. The works are not grouped by artist but are arranged thematically—Landscape, Still Life, and the Nude—on different levels. You could spend a rainy day here exploring the building or, alternatively, come for the latest barnstorming exhibition, which is more often than not a talking point at smart dinner parties across London.

Highlights

The vast Turbine Hall is a dramatic entrance point used to showcase big, audacious installations that tend to generate a lot of publicity. Past highlights include a massive glowing sun, a working spiral slide, and, perhaps most bizarrely, a long crack in the floor.

The Material Gestures galleries on Level 3 feature an impressive offering of post-World War II painting and sculpture. Room 7 contains a breathtaking collection of Rothkos and Monets; there are also paintings by Matisse, Pollock, and Picasso, and newer works from the likes of the sculptor Anish Kapoor.

Head to the Restaurant on Level 7 or the Espresso Bar on Level 4 for stunning vistas of the Thames. The view of St. Paul's from the Espresso Bar's balcony is one of the best in London.

Tips

Tate Modern's Web site has a useful my tour planner, which allows you to print out a personalized map.

Don't know where to start? Join one of the free, 45-minute guided tours. Each one covers a different gallery: Poetry and Dream at 11, Material and Gestures at noon, States of Flux at 2, and Idea and Object at 3. No need to book; just show up in the appropriate room.

Level 4 is devoted to temporary exhibitions, for which there's usually a charge of around £15. Bypass it if you're just here to see the main collection, which is free.

Make it a two-for-one art day by taking advantage of the Tate Boat, which ships visitors back and forth between Tate Britain and Tate Modern every 40 minutes.

An ambitious—and controversial—extension to the front of the Tate Modern is scheduled to open in 2012. No closures had been announced at this writing, but check ahead.

Cost: Free, charge for special exhibits
Open: Sun.-Thurs. 10-6, Fri. and Sat. 10-10 (last admission to exhibitions 45 mins before close)
Tube: Blackfriars, Southwark

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Member Reviews and Ratings

Reviewed by bachslunch from US on 4/6/08
The collection is hit-or-miss as with most modern art museums, but the good stuff makes it well worth the visit. It's a little bit of a hike from the nearest Tube stops. Both this and the Tate across the river are free, too.