Tate Modern opened exhibition spaces in the former tanks

London - The renowned London gallery Tate Modern has opened new exhibition spaces to the public in the unconventional setting of former heating oil tanks. The tanks were part of the former power station where Tate Modern is located. The first exhibition in the exhibition spaces dedicated exclusively to performances, film, and installations has been prepared by South Korean artist Song Hwan-Kim.
     Tate Modern was opened in 2000 in a building that was decommissioned in 1981. Its core is a vast hall where the power station's turbines were located and where temporary installations now take place. To the south, underground, are former circular tanks that are 30 meters in diameter and seven meters deep. They have exceptionally thick concrete walls to withstand any potential explosion. Two are exhibition spaces, and one is a storage area.
     The tanks have retained their raw industrial character as exhibition spaces and are, according to the gallery's management, focused on "live art," which includes performances, film, and installations. "In the last 50 years, these forms and new media have been favored by some of the most interesting artists as a means of expression," said Tate director Nicholas Serota.
     The opening of the tanks as new exhibition spaces is part of a 15-week cultural festival in 2012 and serves as a cultural accompaniment to the Olympics. It will also include a performance by choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. Tate Modern is also set to expand with a completely new building in 2016, which will increase the exhibition spaces of the gallery by 60 percent. It will be the largest new building in Britain for cultural purposes since the opening of the new British Library building in 1998, the gallery stated.
     Tate Modern is one of four Tate galleries. Also in London is Tate Britain, which focuses on British art, and there are other branches in Liverpool and St Ives in Cornwall in the southwest of England.