AS SHE neared the end of her six-year contract as director of the National Museum of Art, Architecure and Design in Oslo, Karin Hindsbo was in a reflective mood. Perhaps now was the time to move away from museums; after all, the Danish-born art historian had just completed the mammoth task of bringing together four separate Norwegian institutions, with a combined collection of 400,000 objects, into one new mega-museum with a staggering budget of £400 million. It was a lot. The only thing that could make her change her mind, she joked to her friends and family, would be if Tate Modern came calling.
Sitting in her bright corner office on the South Bank, the new director of Tate Modern laughs at the memory. "I actually said that out loud, and more than once," says Hindsbo, 50, who took over from Francis Morris in September. "And then the call came. So I needed to reconsider." Why Tate Modern, among all the world's great institutions?
"I think this is one of the greatest institutions there is," she shrugs. "It's a new institution, but it's so significant. It has such a wide reach, both audience wise, but also in the art world. And for the individual, I think people have quite unique experiences here."
It may only be one museum rather than four, but at the centre of one of the world's truly global cities, Tate Modern is a beast. Though not yet back to its pre-pandemic peak of six million annual visitors, the past 12 months have seen almost five million people come through the doors.
"That is a lot of people. But Tate Modern always seems to renew itself," she says. "It's a new museum and it came into being in a time of change. Since then the world kept changing, and Tate Modern kept changing accordingly. I love that about it. And you know, some of the finest and most touching shows I ever saw, I saw here. It's quite a special place."
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der February 26, 2024-Ausgabe von Evening Standard.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der February 26, 2024-Ausgabe von Evening Standard.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Why are England wasting time waiting for Tuchel?
Winning the World Cup is the aim, so the new boss should start now
He's been shot, and punched by Mike Tyson, but British boxing's great survivor is back on top and aiming to rule the world
This is where the magic happens,\" reads a big neon sign scrawled across the entrance to the offices of arguably the most powerful man in British boxing today.
How Sketch went from 'obscene' to era-defining
After arocky start, the glamorous and infamous restaurant is now an institution
Money is worth less than time'
He's quit Fendi, but what will Kim Jones do next?
London's Roman Amphitheatre
Guildhall Yard, EC2V
Liberals didn't notice they'd lost relevance in the all-consuming digital sphere
There are many reasons why Donald Trump might have won the election last week.
Do we have to die?
One neuroscientist thinks the answer is no
How to have a magical Christmas in Edinburgh
From cosy cobblestone streets to abundant Yuletide goings-on, few cities rival the Scottish capital in creating Christmas whimsy.
London's best festive restaurants
The social season is upon us once more. These are the city’s most coveted Christmas venues, which need to be booked soon so as to not miss out on the tinsel and tipples.
Rag'n'Bone Man
I struggle with being recognised... I'll never really feel comfortable with it'
