Extra-terrestrials Lift British Art Crowd into Orbit

Conceptually, at least, London's Tate Museum is already lost in space: not content with the challenges of getting people to attend earth-bound galleries, they're making plans for an orbiting museum. What started as a whimsical probe, "a provocative work of fiction," has become a full-fledged program, and the Tate's Trustees have declared that "the next Tate site should be in space."

The September, 2003 issue of Discover magazine featured the Tate's imaginative new direction, i.e. up. Early in 2002, artist Susan Collins proposed to the museum that their next "satellite" location should literally be a satellite. In earth orbit. Collins was surprised that they took the Sputnik and ran with it. The Tate promoted the concept on its web site, and it found several prominent architectural firms eager to submit conceptual designs for an orbiting museum. Scientists have remarked that "It's a little insane, but the parts that aren't insane are intriguing." Artists have pointed out that some pieces of the Tate collection would "take on new meanings in zero gravity," though Collins herself has remarked that "the idea may be better than the reality."

Space exploration has had a long connection with human art and culture. NASA's Voyager spacecraft are carrying gold-plated discs of recorded music and images beyond the planets, and Europe's Beagle 2 carries a commissioned painting that will double as color calibration chart after its December Mars landing.

The Tate Trustees' statement: "In order to fulfil their mission to extend access to British and International modern and contemporary art, the Tate Trustees have been considering for some time how they could find new dimensions to Tate's work. They have therefore determined that the next Tate site should be in space. At this stage a number of practical aspects of the project are being tested and an early pre-opening programme is being taken forward. This will clearly continue the Tate tradition of innovation and exploration, and provide a radical new location for the display of the Collection and for educational projects. We are very pleased to announce the launch online of our Tate in Space programme."

Read the Discover magazine short feature

Visit the Tate in Space site

Download models that you can print out and build

See the results of the Tate's student architecture competition

Tate Satellite is a pilot programme taking place as part of the research and development into the new Tate. Whilst it is not envisaged that Tate in Space will stay within a singular orbit of earth a pilot satellite programme was seen as essential for the development of instruments and new technologies for the Tate in Space gallery.

The satellite consists of a combination of highly polished (lightweight) metal alloy and photo-voltaic (solar) panels. The polished surface increases its reflectivity and therefore its visibility from earth (depending on the relative poisition of the sun).

Track the Tate Satellite from your own yard