Pop Life at Tate Modern - Risqué Business

Pop Life at Tate Modern was a real mix. It certainly had lots of energy and the curators were thinking outside of the box in who and how they put it together, however, it was a bit on the seedy side and I'm pretty sure there were a few spectators there who had not come for the art.

My highlights were Warhol's Gem's, Takashi Murakami's video with Kirsten Dunst with the soundtrack 'The Vapors - Turning Japanese', Damien Hirst's spot paintings with twins ('Ingo, Torsen' 1992, a set of identical twins stationed in front of two of Hirst's dot paintings), Gavin Turk's plaque (I never seem to tire of seeing this - probably because of the story which goes behind it) and Keith Haring's floor to ceiling embellished Pop Shop.

This is what artist/critic Matthew Collings had to say "What I thought after I came out of 'Pop Life'".

Not just an empty vessel: Miroslaw Balka - How it Is

On a trip to Tate Modern with Year 11 I took the opportunity to experience Miroslaw Balka, 'How it Is'.  

Surprisingly I really got this. With the noise of others who had seen it already going around in my head, I approached the expanse of metal on legs feeling a little skeptical. Nevertheless I climbed the ramp and entered the big black box, looking straight ahead I tried to fix upon where the space ended. Having just walked in from behind and then the length of the vessel I would have thought that it would be obvious but all I could see was a big black nothing. Sure I could hear some mumblings from others, who were camping out temporarily on the floor but this did not detract from the feeling of a black fog enveloping and then bearing down on me as I walked further into the space. Although I knew it was only air I could feel the weight of this blackness on my shoulders. When would I reach the end? WALLOP! Suddenly I had walked right into the back wall. Feeling rather foolish (it was slightly padded with a velvety feel so surely I couldn't have been the only one?) I turned around and could see the light of the opening, so much light. How could I have felt all that blackness before? The illusion was revealed. Walking out I decided I didn't want repeat the walk into the container so as to savour my own original experience and initial response.

The Unilever Series: Miroslaw Balka, Tate Modern 13 October 2009 to 5 April 2010.