tate modern, london

As far as London tourist attractions go, I think the Tate Modern is one of the best. Apparently others agree because it is the most visited modern art gallery in the world with around 4.7 million visitors per year. And its free, students rejoice! You could spend hours here, there is so much to take in. The first thing that struck me was the sheer size of the building. You can't miss it! It is located in the former Bankside Power Station and you can actually see the tower from the nearest tube station (Southwark) so its hard to get lost!

 This is the space you walk into from the entrance, it was previously the turbine hall. It is vast. I have seen photos of this space before but being there in person really awed me. The interiors reflect the history of the building, with steel girders and concrete featuring heavily. The redesign of the building took place in 1995 by architects Herzog & de Meuron and it is hard to think of the building being used for any other purpose than to showcase the collection of art.

There are some spaces in the building that seem as though it was built for displaying modern art. The room above was vast and strikingly white but the three floor to ceiling windows add interest and light.

After viewing the Isabella Blow exhibition at Somerset House with their distorted mannequins the sculpture above caught my attention as it was similar. It is by Thomas Hirschhorn and it is called Candelabra (2006). Hirschhorn is known for his work with everyday materials such as wood, cardboard, plastic and paper which he binds with brown packaging tape. This sculpture was originally from a collection called 'Concretions' which is a geological term that suggest gradual growth of a solid mass. I think it is reflected in the piece as the mannequin heads take on different organic looking forms.

 This piece (Untitled, 2006) was made by Glenn Ligon. His work explores race, gender and sexuality. This particular work is made from glass tubes which Ligon painted black as a comment on the fixation of the positions of African-Americans within the US.

The final images are of a series of photographs taken by Hrair Sarkissian named Execution Squares. The display comprises of a series of photographs depicting the sites of public executions in Syria, the artist’s country of birth. The images were taken in three different cities – Damascus, Aleppo and Lattakia – in places where public executions have taken place, for civil rather than political crimes. The work really resonated with me because the subject matter is so jarring. At first glance the images are of beautiful, modern towns but the deeper meaning is harrowing.