In many ways Tate Modern – which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year – is one of the most accessible of museums. Especially if you are happy to wander in and explore somewhat randomly, rather than driven by expectations or a desire to tick off a list of particular works. The appeal of the space itself, its cafés and restaurants, and the sheer variety of art and installations, seem to attract a broad range of visitors looking for entertainment as well as enlightenment.
But there is also something slightly elusive about the place and given the vast amount of art on display, it can be hard for a new, or even a more regular visitor, to grasp fully its riches and the historic importance of its collections.
One of Tate Modern’s greatest resources is the scale and diversity of spaces which the former Bankside power station offers: from the vast chamber of the great Turbine Hall, to the quiet darkness of some of the old fuel storage Tanks and the more measured spaces of the main galleries. The location too – looking across the river and along the axis of the Millennium Bridge to St Paul’s Cathedral – gives it a flying start when it comes to attracting the millions of tourists who contribute to its huge success. Last year it was the third most popular museum in the country and visitor numbers hit 4.6m – suggesting that it must be doing something right.
This number does represent a decline from its spectacular success in 2018, however. Then it was the UK’s most visited attraction, with 5.87m people passing through the Turbine Hall. True, that year it had a new building (the Blavatnik) to celebrate and two especially popular exhibitions – on Modigliani and Picasso – to draw the crowds. Without these high-profile moments, today’s curators do face challenges, not least how best to help visitors digest the vast range of works which Tate has acquired over its 25-year history.
And what a range it is. The collection dates from the start of the last century right up to the present day, representing a spectacular array of different media – from video installations to soundscapes, from traditional paintings to posters and found objects. They represent myriad cultures and, perhaps most significantly of all, have been made during an era when our ideas of what might be considered art have been confronted in the most radical ways.
The Tate Modern collection represents ‘a spectacular array of different media’ – Alamy
Walking around the galleries again recently, I wondered how many works in the permanent collections will attract much interest in, say, 50 years’ time. Perhaps not as many as the curators hope. But then part of the point of Tate Modern is to reflect the debate around what is the most significant art of recent years, to experiment and take risks. And part of the enjoyment of visiting is to make our own judgements and – to my mind at least – seek out those seminal, more historic works which shine among the also-rans. So here is how to make the most of Tate Modern, exactly 25 years after its doors first swung open.
1. Do I need to book?
For some of the most popular exhibitions, it is wise to buy your ticket in advance, but for the most part, the beauty of Tate Modern is that it accommodates spontaneity so well.
2. How do I get in?
There are two main entrances. The doors at the west end of the building give on to the great ramp sloping down into the Turbine Hall – this is usually the quickest way in. The other way in is from the riverside garden – the door is smaller here and there is sometimes a queue to get through the security checks
3. Making sense of the building
Once inside this is not the most intuitive of buildings: you need first to get your head around the layout, the escalators and lift system. There are two main wings – the huge Natalie Bell Building – which has seven floors (0-6) to the north of the Turbine Hall and the smaller, higher Blavatnik (or Switch House) which has 11 (0-10, but 5-9 are closed to the public) to the south. They are connected at ground level (0) and via bridges across the Turbine Hall on Levels 1 and 4. Both wings contain a combination of galleries housing the permanent collection and temporary exhibitions.
The Turbine Hall splits the two main wings of Tate Modern, the Natalie Bell Building and the Blavatnik – Getty
4. What should I see?
Don’t try to cover the whole of Tate Modern in one visit: there is far too much to absorb. Instead, take your pick from the following:
The Permanent Collections
Divided thematically into five main sections – such as In the Studio (focussing on how art is made) and Artist and Society (art which responds with particular emphasis to political and social issues) – the collection is split across levels 2 and 4 in the Natalie Bell Building and level 3 in the Blavatnik. For individual artistic highlights see below.
The Tanks
These semi-subterranean galleries have been created from the former tanks which used to store fuel oil for the power station. They are now used for live art performances, sound and video installations, new works and displays from the permanent collection. Until November 30, there is a brilliant exhibition of sculptures by Alberto Giacometti in some of the smaller, darker spaces.
Temporary exhibitions
In many ways, these are the lifeblood of Tate Modern – a chance to present new work, mount major retrospectives and focus on lesser-known artists. Current shows include:
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Leigh Bowery! (until August 31)
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Electric Dreams: Art and Technology before the Internet (until June 1)
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Anthony McCall: Solid Light (until June 29)
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Do Ho Suh: Walk the House (until October 19)
Major exhibitions to follow later this year include work by the Australian artist Emily Kame Kngwarraye and one on Nigerian Modernism.
A current exhibition celebrates Australian performance artist, club promoter and fashion designer Leigh Bowery – Fergus Greer – Courtesy of The Michael Hoppen Gallery
Turbine Hall
One of the greatest challenges for a contemporary artist is to make an impact on this colossal space. Notable successes have been Olafur Eliasson’s rising sun (2003), Carsten Höller’s giant slides (2006), and Doris Salcedo’s meandering crack which ran along the length of the concrete floor (2007). Currently the hall is empty, but the next commission is devoted to the Northern Sámi artist, Máret Ánne Sara, and will be installed and opened to the public on October 14.
Tours
If you prefer your visit to be guided, there are various ticketed tours available – both of the permanent collection and specific exhibitions including a new one exploring 25 highlight works, which costs £20 a head.
5. Where can I take a break?
If your head is spinning from some of the more eye-boggling installations, or you are simply suffering from cultural overload, there are several excellent places to take a break or rest your eyes. For refreshments, the main restaurant on the sixth floor of the Natalie Bell Building has brilliant views across the Thames to St Pauls and the City, as does the Level 10 café at the top of the Blavatnik.
On the ground floor, the Corner bar and café, accessed from the riverside gardens, stays open after the museum closes. There are also two “quiet” rooms furnished with armchairs and coffee tables – on levels 2 and 4 of the Natalie Bell Building, where there are easy chairs overlooking the Turbine Hall. There are several shops, including the main bookstore on Level 1, which is one of the best art bookshops in the country.
6. Avoiding the crowds
Tate Modern absorbs its visitors quite successfully, but how crowded it feels depends a good deal on, for example, whether there is a popular installation in the Turbine Hall, or a big-name exhibition. Data from Google suggests that the first two hours of opening are the quietest on all days (1pm-4pm is peak time) and that Saturday is by far the busiest day overall, followed by Sunday. Monday-Wednesday are the quietest. You can call (020 7887 8888) to find out how busy the gallery will be.
This weekend (May 9-12; with late opening til 11.30pm on Friday and Saturday) is likely to be especially popular, with a whole programme of events, live music, performances, talks and tours to mark the 25th anniversary.
Saturday is by far the busiest day for visitors to Tate Modern – ANDY RAIN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
7. When is it open?
Daily, 10am-6pm, admission free, though there is a charge for most temporary exhibitions. Annual membership includes admission to these, to those at Tate Britain and other privileges, such as members’ rooms. Full details at tate.org.uk.
10 unmissable highlights at the Tate Modern
For its 25th anniversary, Tate curators have picked a selection of 25 highlight works which will be signed in the galleries. Here is my own, with an emphasis on the historic strengths of the collection. Be aware that most do not have a permanent location in the museum and individual works are not always on display (click here to check).
1. The Three Dancers, Pablo Picasso (1925)
Begun as a depiction of ballet dancers in rehearsal, the death of a friend transformed Picasso’s mood. The result is a distorted, macabre image infused with violence and distress. Its importance in the history of modern art will be emphasised in a special exhibition to mark its centenary (from Sept 17-April 13 2026).
2. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Dorothea Tanning (1943)
One of the most evocative of all dream paintings – a surreal hotel corridor is peopled by sleep-walking, gravity-defying figures, while a door opens mysteriously and a giant sunflower is bathed in light. According to the artist, the flower represents the “never-ending battle we wage with unknown forces”.
3. Man Pointing, Alberto Giacometti (1949)
An incredibly poised and poignant sculpture exploring the fragility of life and the human form itself. Currently being shown to wonderful effect along with other works by Giacometti in the Tanks (until November 30).
Alberto Giacometti’s Man Pointing will be on show in the Tanks until November – Alamy
4. Seagram Murals, Mark Rothko (1950s)
Designed as a group to be an immersive, meditative experience, these huge canvases were originally commissioned for the Four Seasons restaurant in the Seagram Building, New York. But as the contemplative mood he was creating became apparent, Rothko withdrew from the commission and donated them instead to Tate, as a mark of his esteem for JMW Turner.
5. Whaam!, Roy Lichtenstein (1963)
One of the great anti-war paintings – a brilliant pastiche exposing comic book strip cartoons which trivialise war and, by inference, the role that art and artists have sometimes played in that process. The pastiche extends further – this is an aggressively sexualised account of the missile being fired.
6. A Bigger Splash, David Hockney (1967)
A landmark work in Hockney’s career. He explained the painting himself: “When you photograph a splash, you’re freezing a moment and it becomes something else. I realise that a splash could never be seen this way in real life, it happens too quickly. And I was amused by this, so I painted it in a very, very slow way.”
Hockney painted A Bigger Splash in California between April and June 1967 – alamy
7. Late Morning, Bridget Riley (1967–8)
Riley is the master of the disorienting optical effects produced by the simplest of patterns. This was one of her first experiments with colour and how different chromatic sequences produce unexpected results – in this case, a strange yellow glow.
8. Do Women Have To Be Naked To Get Into the Met. Museum?, Guerrilla Girls (1989)
Art as activism, humour as a political weapon – Tate’s selection of protest posters by the Guerrilla Girls (an anonymous group of female artists) reveals their direct, sardonic and brutally effective approach to satire.
9. Maman, Louise Bourgeois (1999)
This giant stalking spider, its title (meaning “mummy”) belying its menacing presence, was the first work to be seen by visitors when Tate Modern opened in 2000. It is currently installed on the upper bridge spanning the Turbine Hall.
10. War, Paula Rego (2003)
Of all Rego’s many disturbing works featuring imagery from the world of children’s toys and fairy tales, this is one of the most powerful. It was inspired by a photograph of a screaming girl running from an explosion taken during the Iraq war. Rego said: “I thought I would do a picture about these children getting hurt, but I turned them into rabbits’ heads, like masks. It’s very difficult to do it with humans, it doesn’t get the same kind of feel at all.”