This summer in London, visitors to the Tate Modern will be invited to participate in an ever-evolving work of art as Rasheed Araeen's interactive Zero to Infinity comes to life. Staged in the gallery's iconic Turbine Hall as part of UNIQLO Tate Play.
First conceived by Araeen in 1968, Zero to Infinity it consists of lattice construction cubes that are initially arranged in a minimalistic grid.
400 red, yellow, green and blue painted cubes neatly arranged in the Turbine Hall
The public is invited to dismantle this symmetrical structure and then rearrange its components, starting a game and transformation process. Through this creative act of doing and doing again, people will participate in a continuous performance of infinite possibilities.
Next to the performance of Zero to Infinity in the Turbine Hall there will be Shamiyaana IV (Food for Thought: Thought for Change), an installation by Araeen outside the Tate Modern consisting of four colorful gazebos with tables and chairs inside. At first sight it might look like a café or a restaurant, but in reality it is a public and participatory artwork based on the idea that art can be part of daily life, such as cooking and eating, playing games and reading. Visitors to Shamiyaana will share free food with everyone gathered there and be encouraged to chat with each other about art and anything else they like.
The first version of Shamiyaana was created in Athens in 2017 as part of DOCUMENTA 14
They sat around the table among locals from all walks of life, eating together and talking to each other. Despite coming from different cultures and backgrounds, with many unable to speak the same language, the participants found a way to tell each other their stories. Zero to Infinity and Shamiyaana build a sense of unity between different people by involving them in collective creative acts.
Who is Rashaeed Araeen
Rasheed Araeen (born 1935) is a London-based artist, activist, writer, editor and curator. Born in Karachi, Pakistan in 1935, he was initially trained as a civil engineer before moving to the UK in 1964. Araeen is recognized as one of the pioneers of minimalist sculpture in Britain. Working in performance, photography, painting and sculpture, his work combines his interests in engineering, architecture and social engagement. Araeen organized the seminal 1989 exhibition, The Other Story: Afro-Asian Artists in Post-War Britain and his work has been widely exhibited and is represented in major collections worldwide.
UNIQLO Tate Play first launched in 2021, offering year-round activities that invite families to play together and get creative. Always drawing inspiration from the iconic works of major artists in Tate's collection, program highlights included Ei Arakawa's Mega Please Draw Freely, which encouraged visitors to draw all over the Turbine Hall floor, and Yayoi's The obliteration room Kusama, who invited the public to transform a white domestic apartment into a sea of color using colorful polka dot stickers. New projects are staged every school holiday, along with free activities and creative materials during term time.
