“Tate Britain” is to be opened to the public at Millbank on 24 March, with five centuries of British art displayed in an entirely new way. Now that twentieth-century international works have been taken down for the move to Tate Modern, at Bankside, the British collection will spread over most of the building (except for the North West Quadrant, where redevelopment work is still underway). For the first time in its century-old history, the Tate has opted for a full thematic display, abandoning the usual chronological approach. The result will provide some surprising juxtapositions of old and new—Frith and Gilbert & George, Sisley and Kitaj.
Under the overall title “RePresenting Britain”, there are to be four main themes, which will then be explored in a series of rooms. For example, the “Home and abroad” themed area starts off with a room on “Artists abroad”, with images from the Grand Tour to California. Another room is on “The land”, dealing with the British love for the landscape. A room on “War” has images from the Napoleonic period to the battles of the twentieth century. There is also a special Constable display, featuring works from the Tate alongside fifteen pictures on loan from the Victoria and Albert Museum (under an exchange agreement made last year). Finally, each themed area has a monographic room, and “Home and abroad” spotlights Ben Nicholson. These monographic displays are being selected by a curator of another period, to give a fresh perspective, and Nicholson has been done by nineteenth-century specialist Robert Upstone.
The launch of Tate Britain formalises the split in the Tate’s collection. Millbank is to be devoted entirely to British art. Bankside, which opens on 12 May as Tate Modern, will show the twentieth century (and, increasingly, the art of the new millennium). Modern British art will be exhibited in both venues. This brings to fruition Sir Nicholas Serota’s vision of two galleries, doubling the space and making it possible to show much more of the collection.
The creation of Tate Britain is being accompanied by a major development in the North West Quadrant of the building, although this will not be completed until spring 2001. This includes a new entrance in Atterbury Street, refurbishment of the existing galleries (and some expansion) and the creation of a lower level suite of rooms for temporary exhibitions. Fundraising for the £32 million project has just been completed, with £18.75 million coming from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The major individual donor is Sir Edwin Manton, a retired New York-based insurance executive, who contributed around £10 million towards the project and associated costs. The new entrance is to be named the Manton Entrance (it lies opposite the present Royal Army Medical Corps building, which is being vacated and could be taken over by the Chelsea College of Art).
Lord and Lady Sainsbury of Preston Candover made a large donation and the temporary exhibition space is to be named the Sainsbury Exhibition Galleries (with the Sainsbury Wing Galleries at the National Gallery, the supermarket family will have provided exhibition space at two of the UK’s top venues). Other major donors to Tate Britain are Sir Henry and Lady Djanogly, the Wolfson Foundation and Sir Paul Getty. There are to be Djanogly and Wolfson galleries, but Sir Paul has modestly declined to have a room named after him. Fundraising is also currently underway to build a £1.6 million library and archive reading room and storage facilities on the lower floor, which will increase public access to the Tate’s research material.
The Tate empire
o The collection 4,100 paintings, of which 3,500 are British. 38,000 Turner works on paper and 12,000 other works on paper. The collection is a joint resource for all four galleries. Director of Collections: Jeremy Lewison. Sir Nicholas Serota remains the overall director of the Tate, based at his office in Millbank.
o Tate Britain The original building was opened in 1897, for British art. In 1917 the Tate started to collect modern international art, but this year marks its return to becoming the “national gallery of British art”, covering 1500 to the present. Among important events to mark this month’s relaunch is a two-day conference on “Britain and Modernity” (information % +44 (0)207 887 8604). The North West Quadrant, with enlarged facilities, will open in April-May 2001. Visitors (expected): 1,800,000+. Director: Stephen Deuchar.
Millbank, London SW1P 4RG (% +44 (0)207 887 8000).
o Tate Modern A new gallery in the converted Bankside power station, designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in 1947 (but not completed until 1963). It will be one of the world’s great modern art galleries, along with New York’s Museum of Modern Art and the Pompidou Centre in Paris. Opens 12 May 2000. Visitors (expected): 2,000,000+. Director: Lars Nittve.
25 Sumner St, London SE1 (% +44 (0)207 887 8000).
o Tate Liverpool Opened in 1988, in a converted nineteenth-century Merseyside warehouse. Visitors: 700,000. Director: Lewis Biggs.
Albert Dock, Liverpool L3 4BB (% +44 (0)151 702 7400).
o Tate St Ives Opened in 1993, in a dramatic new gallery overlooking the Cornish coast. Visitors: 200,000. Curator: Susan Daniel-McElroy (taking over from Michael Tooby this month).
Porthmeor Beach, St Ives, TR26 1TG (% +44 (0)1736 796226).
Originally appeared in The Art Newspaper as ‘Tate Britain revealed'