Fun, Yes. But Is It Art?

The Tate’s Five-Story Slides Draw Screams Of Fear And Delight From Patrons (And At Least One Reporter)

(CBS)  It was hard to tell where the art gallery ended and the amusement park began.

In London, there’s a tangle of massive steel and glass slides that snakes down through five stories of the Tate Modern Art Museum. Called "Test Site," it's a series of huge gleaming worms, interesting to the eye, but designed for more than looking at. These worms were made for riding. CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips reports.

The artist says the point was to create an emotion somewhere between delight and madness.

"It's a moment when you go down the slide, which is very hard to describe in words — where something extraordinary is happening to you, which will stay with you for awhile," says the sculpture’s designer, Carsten Holler.

Judging from all the evidence, the artist got just what he wanted.

After flying down one of the slides with a scream, a patron says, "That’s great!"

Another lands with a thump and says "Amazing!"

So patrons know what they like — but is it art?

"Oh absolutely," says one man. "A deeply aesthetic experience."

"OK, you know what's coming next. They say that to really appreciate modern art, you have to really get into it," says Phillips as he gets onto the slide and jumps in.

The museum says it's all about letting go.

"It's like relinquishing really," says Jessica Morgan, a Tate curator. "I mean that moment when you actually have to cross the threshold and basically throw yourself off a five-story — a cliff — into an enormous turbine hall, yes."

Yes, indeed. In the United States, this artwork might be called a lawsuit waiting to happen. But others might prefer to see it as a metaphor for the slide through life.

"Maybe we'll call it a little ridiculous," says Phillips. "Maybe we'll call it 'Career Going Down the Tubes.'"

[BeverlyHaynes]

I seen Mark go down the tube, and taping it at the same time. He in what to say---ha ha, very funny and interesting. He actually was hilarious, as he was screaming down the tube!!!
It's actually about time when you can watch the Evening news and LAUGH about a segment for a change. Excellent coverage Mark, ha ha after in a blink of an eye, Katie herself also even and honestly snickered in the back ground. Also great smile for you to Katie, it's been along time since I seen any Evening news casters enjoy and laugh for a change. KEEP THE GREAT NEWS AND SMILES UP!
BJ--somewhere very near the,
Sweet Onion Capital of Ga.