Expanded Tate Modern’s new head on running art museums in the selfie era

As one of the world’s most visited art museums – 5.7 million people reportedly passed through its doors last year – it’s humbling to hear that the Tate Modern in London, which opens a new 10-storey extension on June 17, still counts getting the (right) crowds in as a major challenge.

“We are a public museum, we are owned by the people. Its collection is the nation’s investment in culture,” says Frances Morris, director of the upgraded Tate Modern, “and the biggest challenge I think – and the most exciting thing – is: how do we ensure that people who [don’t] regularly come to the museum have access to their culture.”

“We can do everything we can to provide a wonderful welcome; we can make extraordinary exhibitions ... but how do we encourage people who wouldn’t regularly go to museums or who are born in families who don’t enjoy art and culture?

“How do we reach out to new audiences so that we really connect with the general public?” says Morris.

The new extension – called the Switch House as it’s named after the area of the former Bankside power station on which it stands – will address these questions.

Designed by architects Herzog & de Meuron, the £260 million (HK$2.86 billion) project will add 20,700 square metres of space, increasing the size of Tate Modern by 60 per cent.