Iconic artworks
Tate Modern & Tate Britain
“It’s incredibly exciting,” says Frances Morris, director of the Tate Modern, pictured right, as the Tate galleries prepare to reopen to the public on 27 July. “I’m thrilled that we’ve been able to retrieve so much of our programme,” she adds.
Tate Modern visitors will have access to the Andy Warhol retrospective, inset, which was open for just a few days before lockdown. Morris also hopes that Kara Walker’s 13-metre fountain in the Turbine Hall will become a talking point, following the removal of monuments across the world in the light of Black Lives Matter. “It’s so relevant to the debate that’s going on today about how we commemorate – or don’t – parts of our history,” Morris says.
To ensure their visit to the galleries, visitors will need to book a timed ticket through the website, whether they are attending the paid exhibitions or the free collection displays. Staggered visits, limited numbers and route-planning will not only accommodate visitors safely, but also allow people to see works more clearly.
“The galleries won’t be crowded,” Morris adds. “Your visit will be you, the painting, and that extraordinary magical encounter with a work of art.”
It’s also a chance to spend time in the permanent collection, including the paintings of great, under-recognised artists such as Agnes Martin and Helen Frankenthaler. After a period of isolation, seeing art in person will be particularly valuable, Morris says: “Works of art ground us back to the real and the tangible – all your sensations are alive, whereas the screen, however much we love it, is very limiting.”