ABSTRACT
In May 2000 Tate Modern opened to worldwide critical acclaim in London. The new branch of the historic institution triggered great interest and many debates. This chapter proposes to examine the role that monographic exhibitions played in the discussions among curators and other Tate staff prior to and up to Tate Modern's opening and in the first years of its function. It offers a first glimpse into a global art institution's intriguing set of manifestations which, approached with attention to detail and in relation to the discourses that shape them, have the potential to reveal interesting information and to further challenge research and creation. Monographic exhibitions were, arguably, projected to play a central role in the exhibition programme at Tate Modern. Alongside fermentation internal to the institution, several external factors may have influenced Tate Modern's exhibitionary direction, and in particular its inclination towards monographic exhibitions.
