 Members of the public are invited to take part in Time |
The Tate has acquired a �20,000 performance piece which involves members of the public standing in a line and asking each other the time. David Lamelas' work Time "questions the environment of the museum and static objects". A photograph of a past performance was included in the price.
It was among 14 works bought for the Tate by a collection of donors.
It also acquired a filing drawer by artist Stanley Brouwn and five Zoe Leonard photographs for its galleries.
Suitable location
Buenos Aires artist Lamelas has exhibited performance and film installations around the world since 1970.
His piece Time involves members of the public being invited to take part.
It is then performed along a line placed at a suitable location in the gallery. Each participant is asked what the time is before replying in their own language.
"Part of the appeal of the work is that it can be performed in any number of locations," said a Tate spokeswoman. "Yesterday it was performed at the art fair." Dutch artist Brouwn's filing drawer is filled with 1,000 blank index cards and was bought for �15,000.
Two ceiling fans made by Brazilian artist Alexandre da Cunha out of skateboards and colanders were also purchased.
The items were bought by the Frieze Art Fair Special Acquisitions Fund, into which donors contributed a total of �150,000 towards purchasing contemporary art for the Tate.
Tate director Nicholas Serota said he was "delighted" with the new additions to its collection, which is displayed at its four galleries in London, Liverpool and St Ives.
He said: "Tate's budget for acquisitions is extremely limited and collecting contemporary art is essential to building Tate's collection for the future."
All the acquired works will continue to be exhibited at London's Frieze Art Fair until 24 October.
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