Unilever, who have sponsored the Turbine Hall installations annually since 2000, invited us to the latest commission. Almost 30 million people have passed through the hall attracted by the artists’ various creations over these past years. Whereas the Turbine Hall once housed powerful turbine engines, the energy this year came from live interaction between people. Here was a huge public space for walking and talking and communicating – sometimes intimately – with strangers.
Walking from Waterloo to the Tate …
I always enjoy the walk along the Thames to the Tate, which takes about twenty minutes. I couldn’t see John when I got there but spent some time walking through the gardens in front, vaguely looking for him, and enjoying the warm evening sunshine. People were sitting, some in groups on the grass, some strolling to and from the riverside, some running.
There is something about a riverside with a path which brings out sociability in people. A sense of promenading just for pleasure maybe. I didn’t know anybody but I felt a sense of belonging – and that I could just sit down and enjoy that togetherness in peace, with my book for company. But, instead, I had to find John and go to the exhibition.
Evening sun by river at Tate Modern …
The interaction in the Turbine Hall was quite different from that outside – it was very pro-active. There were huge numbers of young people, many of them students, who came up and just engaged us in conversation. About what they were studying, how they came to be here in London, their opinions on politics, social issues, art, the environment, climate change … but often they started off by just talking about something quite intimate and personal – the sort of thing you wouldn’t immediately bring up with a stranger – and yet, in the context of what Tino Sehgal was trying to do with the Turbine Hall space, it was very successful.
You were immediately drawn into a stranger’s life and a sharing of the ups and downs of human life in general forged an immediate bond. I found it fascinating to listen to something significant that had happened in someone’s life I had never met before. It filled me with energy and enthusiasm both for this opportunity and also for these young, intelligent people trying to make sense of the world we now live in. They were open and friendly and inclusive. It was a very successful group experiment. It gave us tacit permission to talk openly to strangers without any pressure and I much appreciated being able to talk to young people in that way, as I don’t often have that opportunity.
As it got dark and time to leave, we were attracted by the lights bordering the river and decided to walk across the Millennium Bridge.
Jubilee colours light up the Millennium Bridge …
Wenlock in the spotlight!
This is probably the last time we will be invited to the Turbine Hall installations as Unilever is finishing its sponsorship and the Turbine Hall will now be closed until the new extension of the Tate has been built. These visits have been stimulating and very enjoyable and I will miss them – and remember them with great pleasure.
The person I will remember most sitting next to at dinner is Miles Young of Ogilvy and Mather. He is one of the most entertaining and lovely, warm hearted men – with terrific style – that I’ve ever met.
Passing by St. Paul’s …
END