Giant Spiders and Sunflowers: Seven Groundbreaking Moments at Tate Modern

It has now been 25 years since the Tate Modern Opened in London, the former Bankside Power Station has been transformed into one of the world's biggest modern art museums.

The Tate Modern, along with its vast Turbine Hall, has showcased large-scale artworks – many of which were interactive – since it first opened in 2000. Among these early installations was Maman, a towering 33-foot-high sculpture made from bronze and stainless steel depicting a spider carrying marble eggs, crafted by the artist. Louise Bourgeois .

Maman returned in 2007, where she stood outside the Tate Modern as part of a major retrospective of the artist’s work. I visited as a teenager and it changed the course of my life, setting me on a path to studying History of Art and becoming an arts and culture journalist.

The colossal statue has returned for a third time, reinstated within the Turbine Hall. According to Catherine Wood, the Director of Curatorial Affairs and Chief Curator at Tate Modern, "She seems like a guardian of sorts, safeguarding the progress made in the realm of women’s artistic contributions." She continues, "Her return to that space amplifies her aura with an almost ancestral force. It would be fitting to display her again after each quarter-century."

Guests attending the Tate Modern’s 25th Birthday Weekender, launching this week, will have the opportunity to marvel at Maman in all her glory. The event also features numerous workshops and activities, such as the activation of Roman Ondák’s "Measuring the Universe," allowing attendees to gauge their heights for a collective artistic piece.

Reflecting on the past 25 years at Tate Modern, Wood guides us through some of the gallery’s most significant events:

Century City, 2001

In 2001, during the opening of Tate Modern’s exhibition 'Century City,' we were outlining our perspective on global art history. At this point, the displayed collection primarily featured artists from North America, Europe, and Britain.

Century City chronicled the narrative of modern contemporary art via nine urban centres such as Mumbai, Lagos, Rio, and Tokyo. This showcased our ambition to broaden the boundaries of art historical study. Today, this collection mirrors the breadth of that exhibition quite accurately.

Olafur Eliasson, Weather Project, 2003

That enormous sun was truly remarkable. It wasn’t just due to how impressive and well-received the piece was, but also because it seems to be the first time that audiences really grasped the Turbine Hall as a public space akin to a town square.

They entered and settled on the floor, allowing their reflections to be seen in the mirror. Others spontaneously joined impromptu yoga sessions or gathered in circles, observing their reflections in the ceiling.

They also organised demonstrations during this time. One notable event was 'Bush Go Home' when George W. Bush came to the UK, with protesters spelling out messages using their bodies. Olafur was among the initial artists to truly embrace the vast area and create a piece that went beyond merely occupying the space; his work aimed at transforming how audiences experienced the environment.

UBS Initiatives: The Extended Weekend, 2006 – 2009

One aspect I looked forward to during my tenure at Tate was the annual long-weekend festival we initiated each May bank holiday from 2006 to 2009. During this event, we undertook significant commissions such as hosting an all-night showing of Andy Warhol’s "Sleep" within the Turbine Hall, allowing visitors to spend the night."

“A remarkable moment occurred when the Trisha Brown Dance Company, hailing from New York, presented a 1970s work titled 'Man Walking Down the Side of the Building.' This performance quite literally involved someone rappelling down the facade of Tate Modern as part of a choreographed act, attracting an enormous audience.”

In 2008, we brought back to life an archive of Fluxus instructions dating from the '60s and '70s—these were wild concepts created by various artists. Typically, such archives are displayed in glass cases within museums as historical items; however, we chose to relaunch the Flux-Olympiad. This project encompassed a series of peculiar, almost Harry Potter-like activities devised by those same creative minds.

Alison Knowles created 'Make A Salad,' an event where she threw a large salad from a bridge onto a tarpaulin and mixed it using a rake; everyone present had the chance to partake. In 2009, Michelangelo Pistoletto constructed a massive newspaper ball intended for collective rolling through the streets of Southwark.

Ai Weiwei Sunflowers, 2010

“Obviously the Ai Weiwei Sunflower seeds are among the prominent displays. He created numerous small ceramic sunflower seeds to symbolize the Chinese artisans who produce such delicate items in large quantities.

But sadly, once people stepped on it and scooped up some of it, it generated these dust clouds we didn't expect, making it impossible for anyone to walk on it anymore, which was disappointing.

I frequently encounter individuals who possess several of those seeds. People collected them as keepsakes, even though that was not the original intention; however, much like many situations, that’s how it turned out.

Dance Museum, 2015

One of my favourite moments came in 2015 when the French choreographer Boris Charmet turned the entire Tate Modern into what became known as the Musee de la Dance – essentially a museum dedicated to movement. In every exhibit area, impromptu dance performances took place, showcasing an array of dances ranging from classical ballet through traditional folk styles all the way to modern German dance. Additionally, there was even participation from a choreographer based in Senegal who directs a programme named The School in the Sand.

In the centre, we featured our largest disco ball yet, along with hosting dance lessons and shows, culminating in a nightclub experience.

Tate Tanks open, 2016

Even though the tanks were previously opened for special occasions — such as an event back in 2012 — they officially launched in 2016 following a significant rearrangement of the gallery’s collection. This marked the initial moment when we could truly exhibit our global assortment featuring works from approximately 300 artists across more than 50 nations worldwide.

Our director back then, Francis Morris, stated that half of the individual exhibitions needed to feature female artists. Looking back, this now appears quite standard, yet at the time, it marked a change since these spaces were predominantly occupied by men. We had accumulated many works from women artists, so our task was simply to showcase them all.

There have been numerous female artists featured throughout the history of the early Tate Modern, such as Frida Kahlo and Yayoi Kusama, whom we now consider major celebrities, though this wasn’t the case during their initial exhibitions. When we presented Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Rooms in 2023, it resulted in our highest attendance ever.

Uniqlo Tate Play, 2021

Uniqlo Tate Play is an initiative we're particularly proud of. We introduced it during our emergence from the pandemic lockdown phase. This project involved the curatorial team exploring innovative methods for utilizing the turbine hall—specifically, finding ways to encourage visitors to participate actively in co-creating and producing art alongside each other rather than merely viewing exhibits.

Ei Arakawa drew inspiration from the renowned Gutai group's piece titled 'Please Draw Freely.' While they executed theirs on an empty canvas set up in the woods, Arakawa transformed the whole Turbine Hall’s floor into a giant drawing area where everyone could contribute, offering a remarkable experience following prolonged periods of home confinement during the pandemic.

We have maintained that trend annually with Rasheed Araeen. Oscar Murillo , and later this July we have Monster Chetwynd – inviting everyone to join in the fun of making a mess and transforming the Turbine Hall into a studio."

Tate Modern's 25th Anniversary Weekend, from May 9 to 12, tate.org.uk

Sign up today for one of The Standard’s newsletters. Choose from a daily news update, Homes & Property highlights, as well as content covering lifestyle, events, exclusive deals, and much more. To get the top stories delivered directly to your mailbox, click here. here .