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."
Esta historia es de la edición February 26, 2024 de Evening Standard.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición February 26, 2024 de Evening Standard.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Don't Want Botox? Then Try These Alternatives
From microcurrents to lasers, there are other ways to tackle ageing skin, says Madeleine Spencer
It's high time the Borthwick regime delivers on promise
England boss needs a statement win and the All Blacks are up first
Bukayo Saka
The making of a London icon
Even Ridley Scott thinks our big screens are epic
Outernet is now one of London's top attractions --but the man behind it isn't resting on his laurels
Laura Bailey on why Margate is her favourite escape in the UK
Incredible light, sea air, galleries galore and only two hours from Victoria: it's the model and photographer's dreamland...
The Old Operating Theatre
St Thomas Street, SE1
Can drugs like Ozempic really help to getthe economy firing again?
Labour's plan to give the unemployed weight-loss jabs may have unintended consequences, reports William Hosie
AI is the new frontier of perfumery...But just how fragrantare these scents?
Choosing a signature scent is a highly personal experience. Not only do preferences differ greatly, but certain perfumes react differently depending on your skin. Bergamot top notes may be intoxicating on one person's wrist, but seem soapy on another.
Is it time to ditch the apps and embrace the science of love at first sight?
The chemistry of love isn't just a romantic ideal - it's a scientific reality, discovers
A poetic puzzlebox
This lyrical novel sets out to dazzle and terrify