Tate Modern river facade gets street art show

The Tate Modern will be displaying work on its river facade for the first time this month.

Large-scale designs and art by graffiti illustrators from across the world will feature on the Thames-facing exterior wall of the London gallery, as part of its Street Art exhibition.

Cedar Lewisohn, the curator of the exhibition, says, ‘It just made sense to have the work outside.’

He continues, ‘I had spoken to various street artists before and they always told me this is the type of project they would love to do.’

The six images displayed will include illustrations by street artists from cities including Barcelona, Paris and São Paulo.

A Tate spokesman says, ‘The reason the Tate is commissioning this exhibition is because street art has a long history and is visible in many areas of culture.’

‘The gallery wants to bring the subject to life for both new audiences and those familiar with the subject, using a familiar medium as its basis.’

Showcasing work for the first time in the UK will be Blu, JR (whose work is pictured above), Nunca and Os Gemeos, Sixeart and artist collective Faile.

Faile takes its inspiration from the detritus of city walls, such as the deterioration of advertising and flyposter designs. Its work is heavily indebted to printmaking and stencilling traditions, while JR’s photographic pieces feature close-range black-and-white portraits which convey political messages.

Street Art at Tate Modern, SE1 runs from 23 May to 25 August. For more information, visit www.tate.org.uk.