When London’s Tate Modern opened its doors in 2000, the museum greeted the public with Louise Bourgeois’s colossal arachnid steel and marble sculpture “Maman” (1999), which dominated its Turbine Hall entrance before leaving a trail of spindly bronze replicas in locations across the globe including Ottawa, Tokyo, Bilbao, and Kansas City. Now, the late French-American artist’s iconic spider will return to its debut location in 2025 to capture a new generation of visitors in her web in commemoration of the Bankside art institution’s 25th anniversary.
Conceived as an ode to Bourgeois’s mother for her skillfulness, protectiveness, and nurturing presence, “Maman” was commissioned for the Tate Modern’s since-dropped annual Unilever-sponsored sculpture series and officially acquired by the museum in 2008.
The work will go on view for the institution’s anniversary weekend on May 9, kicking off a trail of 25 contemporary artworks installed around the building including Mark Rothko’s large-scale Seagram Murals (1958–59) and Dorothea Tanning’s early painting, “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” (1943).
The path will also feature film, music, and performance works, including a multi-screen film installation by Indian artist Nalini Malani and a work featuring a series of live tarot readings by Beninese conceptual artist Meschac Gaba.
As one of the United Kingdom’s most popular art venues, the Tate Modern’s attendance has been steadily increasing since the pandemic, when it saw a significant drop in visitors. Last year, the museum welcomed more than 4.7 million attendees, still behind its peak attendance in 2019, when it saw upwards of 6 million visitors. Along with the Tate Britain, Tate St Ives, and Tate Liverpool, the Tate Modern is part of a museum network that houses the UK’s national collection of modern and contemporary art.
The museums most recently made headlines earlier this month, when more than 100 protesters and 2024 Turner Prize winner Jasleen Kaur called out the institution during this year’s award ceremony for its ties to organizations linked to Israeli military activity.
