LONDON.- This summer, Tate Modern showcases a new installation and large-scale participatory performance, orchestrated by internationally regarded artist and composer Lina Lapelytė (b.1984). Serendipity Island sees the museum’s world-renowned Turbine Hall transform into a giant maze-like stage for collective performances, inviting audiences to co-create a piece of mass choreography. The commission is presented as part of Tate Modern’s UNIQLO Tate Play series, the gallery’s free programme of commissions and art-inspired activities for all ages.
Upon entering the installation, visitors are guided by ‘Conductors’ through one of six ‘scores’: a short set of instructions composed of simple directed actions, such as stomping, humming and swaying. They are then invited to enter a maze of specially designed wooden barriers, modelled after airport queue dividers, laid out in an intricate path across the Turbine Hall. Moving in a line through the barriers, participants follow the score to perform actions in time with audio cues in an accompanying layered soundscape, of sounds recorded across London provided by field recordist Peter Cusack. As different groups perform the multiple scores, sounds and actions overlap with one another, creating moments of unexpected crossover and crescendo. The interplay between these elements contributes to a collective composition, filling the space with a continuous performance as participants shift between spectator, listener and performer.
The commission builds upon Lapelytė’s interests in experimental music, amateur performance and collaborative creation, set in what she terms ‘sculptural situations’. Initially trained as a classical violinist and composer, her playful, unexpected and thought-provoking works reference a range of musical genres, from opera to pop music. Challenging the boundaries between art and play and dismantling the roles of artist and viewer, her work explores the power of the sonic to unite her audience.
Catherine Wood, Interim Director of Tate Modern, said: “This summer, a new musical project from Lina Lalpelyte poses a simple and joyful invitation for our visitors, who will become part of her work. I can’t wait to see people making a live artwork together in the Turbine Hall! Every year, with the support of UNIQLO, Uniqlo Tate Play allows us to work with a range of fantastic artists to enable our visitors to co-create an artist’s work. These activities are free and open to all ages, opening up creative encounters for everyone."
All year round, UNIQLO Tate Play offers free activities for everyone visiting Tate Modern and encourages people of all ages to play together and get creative. The programme is always made available to all, inspired by the belief that art and play are for everyone. Since it launched in 2021, it has commissioned large-scale projects by renowned artists including Rasheed Araeen, Ei Arakawa, Yayoi Kusama, Oscar Murillo and Monster Chetwynd and it has seen over 775,000 people take part in the gallery alone.
