TATE’s Crack On Show

While this title is crude, how else can you say it?

TATE Modern (an Art Museum in London) commissioned an artist to crack the Turbine Hall’s (large, vaccumous atrium) concrete floor. Initially, I thought that the work must be a realistic printed sticker or other trick to keep the hall’s expansive floor unharmed. But, alas, no. News reports and blogs reported that a few people had actually fallen into the crack within the first days of showing. It’s as deep as a few feet in some places.
G and I ventured to TATE Modern to check it out. The artist did, in fact, mechanically crack the floor for a reported total cost of £3m ($6m). Though, the methods are not disclosed.

While I certainly enjoyed the slides in the turbine hall more, the crack is quite intriguing and has created buzz around the museum. Mission accomplished assuming that’s what they were after. Now, how will they fix it after the show has come to an end? Click here to see additional photos…

We also ventured to Leicester Square last evening to see the Tony Award winner, Avenue Q (it won against Wicked). Gotta love the half price ticket booth for same day tickets. Today, we’re off to see the Terracotta Army exhibit at the British Museum.

More on the crack from G…

What I think most people find facinating about this crack is “how in the bloody ell did they do it?” First thoughts are that it can’t be real. It must be painted, a sticker, a false floor or some other trick. But once you visit and see it — it is very definitely real. It is made of concrete and there are no false floors. The entire floor of the massive turbine hall is solid concrete and this crack is deep.

Interestingly enough, there is no word from the Tate or the artist on this most popular question. The pamphlet from the artist has a rambling narrative about racism, imperialism, immigration and such. I say that is a bunch of bunk — it is a crack in the floor and people want to know the secret. From a quick search on the internet though, it seems that others’ opinions are in line.

Don’t get me wrong, the idea that it is art is not lost on me. Looking at the crack made me feel a bit like watching a magic trick. You know it isn’t real and want to know how it was done. But you know that once you figure it out, that the magic will be gone.

While we were there, K tipped me off that she learned that the artwork cost £3 million to install. With a budget like that, my conclusion is brute force — they jackhammered the floor and poured/pieced in the “new” floor. There really isn’t any illusion about it. With the size of the building, digging up a strip of concrete down the middle would likely have little impact on the foundation and stability of the structure. The real magic here is that the Tate actually let an artist rip up the floor for something like this.

I think it is great that they did it and it is a great piece of work. It is just disappointing that explanation from the artist seems so disconnected from the actual artwork. Many people will likely just write her off as a nut case when they read about “her meaning” (me included!). The great thing about art tough is that everyone can draw their own meanings. One interpretation that I ran across on the net was that the crack represented the damage that an Earthquake can do even to a massive structure like the Tate. I imagine there are many other “good” interpretations as well.

If you are interested in more on how they did it, The Guardian has a good article that gives big hint at the end.