Major new commissions at Tate Liverpool for Biennial

Sep 24 2008 by Vicky Anderson, Liverpool Daily Post

Tate Liverpool gallery, Albert Dock 03 _320

THIS month’s Late at Tate event makes the most of the gallery’s Biennial exhibition, and invites evening visitors to the Made Up Mix.

Major new commissions by nine artists, encompassing painting, sculpture, installation, video and drawing, have been made especially for the ten-week exhibition and are being shown alongside other rarely-seen works.

Tate says it has commissioned works that make up new places between the real and the unreal, documentary and narrative, fact and fiction, and truth and lie, and is celebrating the opening of the Liverpool Biennial with a special night of imagination and improvisation.

Made Up Mix will give visitors the opportunity to experience an improvised performance by artist Patrick Brill, who performs as Bob and Roberta Smith’s Apathy Band, take a revealing tour with Tate Liverpool’s Made Up curator, and catch an American documentary film featuring Biennial artists Teresa Hubbard and Alexander Birchler.

Chibuku DJ Phil Charnock will be warming up the foyer from 6pm, followed by a performance by avant-garde Leeds band, Die Plankton, known for their fusing of human beat-boxing, improvised instruments, hip-hop loops and experimental ukulele.

Tate Liverpool curator Laurence Sillars leads Between the Real, a ticketed event revealing the thinking behind his interpretation on the theme Made Up, and will speak about the process of working with contemporary artists such as Rodney Graham, David Altmejd and Omer Fast. Biennial artists Teresa Hubbard and Alexander Birchler have presented The Year without a Summer, and, to celebrate, Late at Tate will be screening a film – an episode of American contemporary art series Art: 21–Art in the Twenty-First Century – featuring the artists discussing their inspiration and challenges.

Made Up is a special exhibition running until November 30, and admission is £5/£4 with members and children free.

Works to look out for include Canadian David Altmejd’s two sleeping giants; the acclaimed film Take a Deep Breath, by Omar Fast; and the paintings of Liverpool artist Ged Quinn.

Late at Tate takes place tomorrow, from 6pm to 9pm.

Between the Real runs from 6pm to 7.30pm and tickets cost £7/£5.50 including free entry into the exhibition. To book tickets, contact Tate Liverpool on 0151 702 7400.

vickyanderson