Tate Triennial 2009

Altermodern Manifesto – Postmodernism is Dead

3 February – 26 April 2009

Want to know what’s happening in contemporary art now? Then visit Altermodern, the fourth Tate Triennial at Tate Britain. This selection of new contemporary art presents some of the best that current British art has to offer, alongside international artists who are working with similar themes. It includes artists working in all media, from painting, to film and video, to extraordinary installations and features many new works being shown for the first time. This year’s Triennial has been curated by Nicolas Bourriaud who co-founded the influential contemporary gallery Palais de Tokyo in Paris in 2002.

Bourriaud is proposing the new art term ‘Altermodern’ to describe how artists are responding to the increasingly global context in which we all now live.Altermodern claims that the period defined as postmodernism has come to an end and a new culture for the 21st century is emerging. Increased communication, travel and migration are having a huge effect on the way we live now. Altermodern describes how artists at the forefront of their generation are responding to this globalised culture with a new spirit and energy. Is postmodernism dead? What does it mean to be modern today? Decide for yourself.