Tate Modern
Housed in a converted power station, designed by Giles Gilbert Scott, who incidentally designed the iconic red phone box, the Tate Modern holds the nation’s collection of modern art from 1900 to the present day and is the world’s most visited art centre. The building is located on the south bank of the river Thames, boasting spectacular views of St Paul’s Cathedral and the skyscrapers of the City of London and is organised in four themed displays such as Poetry and Dream, Making Traces, Energy and Process, Structure and Clarity. During the tour we will have the chance to see Pablo Picasso’s Weeping Woman – a painting-manifesto protesting against the horrors of the Spanish Civil War, Salvador Dali’s Autumnal Cannibalism – a work that explores conflict on both a personal and national level, Giuseppe Penone’s Tree of 12 Metres – a sculptural relief statement concerning our relationship with the environment, Richard Serra’s Trip Hammer – a site-specific sculpture linked to the history of engineering and industrialisation and Mark Rothko’s Seagram Murals – a series of abstract expressionist paintings commissioned by the Four Seasons restaurant in New York. Upon completion, the artist refused to deliver the paintings, paid back the commission money and gave them to Tate Modern instead. Famously described as ‘apocalyptic wallpaper’, they are now among the most prized artworks in the collection. Some of the works can be challenging to understand at first glance so let us bring these amazing pieces to life. Here you will have the chance to explore some of the 20th century’s most radical and exciting art movements on Minimalism, Cubism, Arte Povera, Surrealism, Abstract expressionism in Tate Modern. Now that you are in the heart of the city, you may wish to combine your Tate Modern Tour with another tour offering Paul’s Cathedral, Thames River Cruise, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre or West End Musical package to get the most from London.