In between Spectacle and Pedagogical Discourse: The Tate Modern
Abstract
The opening of Tate Modern in May 2000 –as a section focused on international and contemporary art, belonging to the senior Tate Gallery- implied a historical landmark
with regard to the study and production of museum displays. The choice of an old power station, renovated by the Swiss architects Herzog and De Meuron, meant a radical makeover for a declining area in the vicinity of the “Square Mile” of London. Besides, Tate Modern has succeeded happily as media fodder and visitors magnet, blending the roles of tourist attraction, extravaganza, didacticism and a truly innovative display of its collections that moves away from the Big Narratives. Its purported difficulty for younger or non-initiated viewers –a 60% of the total visitors is 35 years old or less- has brought about an utmost care of the information on the different contexts, as well as paying close attention to the didactic task of museums. With a series of interdisciplinary and educational activities, Tate Museum has become a major encouragement for innovation, an incentive to reflect upon new trends in museology, influencing museums of such a long lasting tradition as MoMA in New
York or Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.
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