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Louise Bourgeois spider to return to Tate Modern for gallery’s 25th birthday
Maman sculpture will be reinstalled in its original home in the Turbine Hall
The 10 metre-high stainless-steel spider that greeted the first visitors to London’s Tate Modern in 2000 will return to the Turbine Hall next year in honour of the gallery’s 25th anniversary.
Louise Bourgeois’ Maman – which the late French-American artist described as an exploration of the “ambiguities of motherhood” – was initially commissioned for the gallery’s opening, and was exhibited both in the Turbine Hall and outside the museum before its permanent acquisition by Tate in 2008.
The sculpture can also be seen in several bronze castings outside international museums such as the Guggenheim in Bilbao and the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo.
After touring the world, most recently to the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney earlier this year, Maman will return to Tate Modern in May 2025.
The sculpture will form the starting point of a new trail leading visitors around 25 key works in the gallery’s collection, including Mark Rothko’s Seagram murals, returning from their current display Tate St Ive’s, and American surrealist Dorothea Tanning’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.
Catherine Wood, Tate Modern’s director of programme, said: “We wanted to lead visitors around the whole building on a journey from old favourites to new discoveries. The selection showcases how art has always pushed the boundaries and challenged norms, ultimately letting us all see the world through new eyes.”
The anniversary trail will also include contemporary works, including an installation from Beninese artist Meschac Gaba exploring the connections between art, religion, and spirituality through miscellaneous objects and live tarot readings. New commissions for the anniversary include a participatory installation by the London-based audiovisual artist Abbas Zahedi.
The gallery’s birthday weekend (9-12 May 2025) will play host to a soon-to-be-announced programme of free events, including live music and performance, pop-up talks and tours, and a drop-in making studio sponsored by Uniqlo.