By Mark Davies BBC News Online political reporter

The current main attraction for instance is the work of Jake and Dinos Chapman, including Tragic Anatomies, "an artificial Eden constructed from Astroturf and catalogue order plants".

Howard's speech was warmly welcomed

And on Thursday, for one afternoon, Tory leadership hopeful Michael Howard brought a brand of performance art to one of the gallery's Thames-side suites.

We had Glass Door Confusion, with media teams first filing into the room where Mr Howard's press conference was being held - then being told to file out again through a pair of glass swing doors before finally being allowed to return.

Then there was Shoulder Barge Ruck, a mass of camera-wielding men and women moving in unison around the room with a shadow cabinet minister or two thrown in.

Relief

That was followed by Flash Bulb Chaos as Mr Howard himself appeared to take his bow before the finale - his very own work, which he'd no doubt call Tory Rebirth.

And there was undoubtedly a sense of relief - and eager anticipation - in the air among the Tories present.

The bad business - the ousting of that chap Duncan Smith - was done with. Now for the future.

Some Tories, like Nicholas Soames, had got there early and bagged a seat at the front. Norman Lamont sauntered straight into a TV interview.

Others, like Bernard Jenkin and David Willetts, found a spot crushed against the wood-panelled walls.

Fresh start

They clapped and cheered enthusiastically as Mr Howard made his entrance.

There were "hear, hears" for his tribute to Iain Duncan Smith, and murmurs of approval for the rest of an impressive speech.

Mr Howard would work for "all Britain and all Britons", he said.

He would not criticise Labour for the sake of it, and would carve out a new kind of non-confrontational politics.

It was time to start afresh, he said. The Tory Party of 2003 was no place for "ancient feuds or rankling discourse". Mr Duncan Smith may not agree entirely with that.

It went down a treat with the Tories in the room and it was easy to see why - it was a statesmanlike, coherent speech which hit all the right buttons for his supporters.

There was a heady atmosphere - almost like a victory party - with MPs mumbling about how everything suddenly seemed to have changed for the Tories.

Indeed, so happy and relaxed were they that there was even an air of panto as the Tories tried to put their bad times behind them.

'Good bloke'

What personal quality would you like to tell the nation about, Mr Howard was asked.

"He's a good bloke," cried Mr Jenkin

When Mr Howard was asked about the suggestions in the past that he has a "smarmy" manner, he won laughter by thanking the questioner for a "generous question".

But it was the meat of the speech which sent his supporters away most happy.

He stressed his experience, and his party's history. He promised to lead from the centre, reach out to all parts of society.

He would not head a party of "little Englanders" and called for "stamina and comradeship" as the Tories began the "hard climb" to power.

It was performance art to warm even the most aching Tory heart.