Mystery Over Turbine Hall Closure

By · October 14, 2010 at 19:50 pm · 12 Comments · Arts and Events · Report an error ·

1410_seed.jpg Ai Weiwei’s Sunflower Seeds, the newly-opened installation in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall, was closed today for what appear to be health and safety reasons. The Guardian reports that one visitor was told the seeds were creating a “cloud of porcelain dust” as people walked over them. So far the official word from Tate staff is that the installation is undergoing “essential maintenance”, and there’s no indication when it will re-open. The gallery has form when it comes to people injuring themselves in the annual, Unilever-sponsored series: several people hurt themselves tripping over Doris Salcedo’s Shibboleth in 2007, while a pensioner busted his nose by walking into the wall of Miroslav Balka’s How It Is last year.

Tagged: , , ,

Report an error

  • http://undefined djhworld

    I would have thought that the result of hundreds of people trampling all over the seeds would cause them to excrete a bit of oil. Admittedly sunflower oil is extracted when you crush the seeds under immense pressure but I would have thought a thin oily film might have arisen to cause the floor to become a bit slippy.

  • http://undefined AndrewS

    Porcelain isn’t known for its oil-producing properties, so probably not. Don’t let this discourage you from speaking your mind about things you know nothing about.

    • DeanN

      Bit harsh, that – it doesn’t explicitly state in the post that the seeds are made from porcelain.

  • Emiana

    The dust cloud was eminently evident when I was there on Wed and the guards standing around were wearing masks… thus, not an unforseen problem…. I did wonder how long it was going to take for healthnsafety to make their appearance.

  • http://www.bigbunny.co.uk Richard the Big Bunny

    I’m not surprised — the thought had already occurred to me. The dust could lead to a lung condition similar to silicosis.

←
→