Martin Creed's Tate Britain Show: Not the Usual Gallery Run

by Zoe Strimpel
Wed, 2 Jul 2008 at 12:14 AM

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Turner Prize winner Martin Creed's, err, surprising exhibit has opened at Tate Britain. "Work No 850" is entirely devoid of objects. Assigned the task of filling the museum's 86-meter Duveen Galleries, Mr. Creed sure came up with something a little different. For the next four months, a team of 50 amateurs, paid £10 ($19.93) an hour for their services, will sprint through the gallery in 15-second bursts. Visitors will not be allowed to join in because the museum is concerned about safety. A good workout for the amateurs, that's for sure. As for the art, plenty have found the idea ludicrous — a boring, crass attempt at sensationalism in one of our country's most august monuments, but plenty, such as the Times of London's Rachel Campbell-Johnston, have supported it.

According to the Times, Mr. Creed said (somewhat enigmatically) of his project: "I thought, 'Why do you have to look at paintings for a long time? Why not look for a second?' Sometimes when you go around museums you feel it is quite a laborious task." Stephen Deuchar, director of Tate Britain, interpreted the show as "a depiction of the human physique." What would he make of a gym?

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