Hailed as a “modern masterpiece“, Mike Nelson’s The Coral Reef is a very tangible exploration of how sociopolitical ideology can create confusion, disorientation, even trauma.
The piece – currently on display at Tate Britain – comprises of a maze of rooms, each filled with derelict remnants of a popular culture, religion, or movement. As the title may suggest, it is a collection of complex and fragile ideas layered together to present something that is both overwhelming and futile.
In Nelson’s own words, he wants the spectator to feel ‘lost in a world of lost people’.
The Coral Reef is free to visit at Tate Britain in Pimlico.
