Bunk beds fill Tate Turbine Hall

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Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster discusses TH.2058

Two hundred yellow and blue bunk bed frames form part of the latest art installation to fill the Turbine Hall in London's Tate Modern gallery.

Entitled TH.2058, the artwork - created by French artist Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster - symbolises an apocalyptic vision of London in the future.

Set 50 years from now, the installation is inspired by both real and fictional scenarios of the capital under attack.

Giant animal sculptures also form part of the work, on display until April.

These include a 65ft (20m) high flamingo by the artist Alexander Calder and a spider sculpture by Louise Bourgeios that was first seen in the Turbine Hall in 2000.

Illuminated

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A giant screen overlooks the work, playing extracts from science-fiction and experimental films.

Books such as JG Ballard's The Drowned World and Mike Davis's Dead Cities have been placed on top of the bed frames, which are illuminated by piercing lights.

Visitors are encouraged to stop and rest on the beds, experiencing the refugee camp atmosphere of the vast hall, and the dystopian worlds presented on screen and page.

The exhibit is accompanied by the sound of never-ending rainfall - supposedly the environmental catastrophe humanity has sought shelter from inside the gallery.

Born in Strasbourg in 1965, Gonzalez-Foerster's work often examines contemporary urban life.

The 43-year-old is known for her use of light, sound, photography, film and everyday objects to create immersive, interactive environments for the viewer.

Her Tate exhibit replaces the previous installation - a giant subterranean crack that stretched the length of the gallery's Turbine Hall's floor.

Gonzalez-Foerster works in Paris and Rio de Janeiro and is considered one of France's leading contemporary artists.