TEXTILES AT THE TATE

When the new Tate extension opens on the 17th of June, textile and textile processes will assume their rightful place as a means of expression. The Tate will proudly acknowledge that textile can be art. The new building, designed by architects Herzog & de Meuron, will have 60% more display space in which to show work. Its collections of 80,000 contemporary and modern art works has doubled since it opened in 2000. With a complete rehang of much loved works and new acquisitions the launch affords the curatorial team the opportunity to rethink their remit, with an increased interest in diversity, internationalism and the role of women artists. “We are deliberately concentrating effort to collect and show more work by women, as well as broadening the geographic and material view of what is art,” says curator Ann Coxon, a policy evident in recent shows at Tate Modern, such as Sonia Delaunay and Agnes Martin. “Robert Morris, Robert Rauschenberg and Claus Oldenburg all used textile and were taken seriously, but many women using textile at the same period were not. Their ‘fibre art’ was not considered serious.” That is something that Tate’s new hang will remedy.“Within the collection we aim to show that we are giving women their rightful place. We will have large galleries with women given high prominence.” This is an extract from Corinne Julius' article in the Delicate issue.