Sonic Youth guitarist Thurston Moore is in London to celebrate the anniversary of the Tate Modern.
Founded ten years ago, The Tate Modern almost overnight became one of the most talked about galleries in the UK. The building has housed countless controversial exhibits, launching the careers of countless artists.
As part of its tenth anniversary celebrations the London gallery is throwing open its doors to some guest curators. Sonic Youth guitarist Thurston Moore has decided to showcase a previous exhibition the band were involved in which documented American underground literature.
In the past, Sonic Youth teamed up with publishing company Ecstatic Peace to host a unique documentation of underground literature from the 60s and 70s. “We did an exhibition at White Columns gallery that dealt with underground poetry publications of the underground 60’s and 70’s” he told BBC 6Music.
“It also included an art and poetry publication that we do ourselves. The director of White Columns, Matthew Higgs, had asked us if we would be the representatives of the space for this show at the Tate.”
Joining more than 70 guest curators, Thurston Moore decided to set up an installation based around a bed. Wait a minute… a bed? In art gallery? Somebody should tell Tracey Emin.
“I do all my reading in bed, for the most part. Or when I am commuting on a train. It’s going to be a bed with books and poetry.”
Thurston Moore also plans to fly kites around the edge of the bed, in a homage to an art work by Yoko Ono.
To coincide with the Tate Modern exhibition, Thurston Moore intends to launch the new issue of his Ecstatic Peace Poetry Journal which mixes visual art with writing from new and unpublished authors.
