American artist Kara Walker produced Fons Americanus for the Hyundai Commission, which opened to the public in November 2019.
Fons Americanus is a 13-metre tall working fountain inspired by the Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace, London. Created by Walker, it is one of the most ambitious installations in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall to date.
Rather than a celebration of the British Empire, Walker’s fountain explores the interconnected histories of Africa, America and Europe. She uses water as a key theme, referring to the transatlantic slave trade and the ambitions, fates and tragedies of people from these three continents. Fantasy, fact and fiction meet at an epic scale.
This is the fifth installation in the ten-year series of the Hyundai Commission. Fons Americanus is on display at Tate Modern until 8 November 2020. You can explore the artwork in more detail here: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/kara-walker-2674/kara-walkers-fons-a...
Housed in a converted power station, Tate Modern is located in central London on the banks of the River Thames. Each year, Tate Modern works with a new artist to produce the Hyundai Commission, which is featured in the gallery’s iconic Turbine Hall – a central feature of the gallery building. Tate Modern’s diverse programme showcases international modern and contemporary art.