like, it's art or whatever

Our first full day in London was spent walking leisurely along the south bank of the Thames from Ryan's dorm toward the Tate Modern.
It was just an excuse to have some sort of destination (and it helped that the museum is free). But it ended up being the first day a new installation at the Tate was truly opened to the public: the museum has installed a number of large stainless-steel slides in its huge open turbine room area. The slides are from one to five stories high, and riding is free (although you have to stand in line to get a timed ticket).
Certainly more interactive than the usual art installation, and a slightly incongruous addition to the rooms of paintings, photos and sculptures. But they do have the aesthetic value of a sculpture - the sinewy path of the tubular slides and the visual twists they turn on each other is quite pleasing to the eye. And I'm not much of an art critic anyway. I do know the four-story slide gives you quick ride, a bit of an adrenaline boost and a pleasant rush of feeling. I also know more people were talking, and grinning, about the slides than any other art exhibit or installation I've ever been to.

It reminded me a bit of St. Louis' City Museum, one of the oddest and most-interesting places I've been. That building is crammed full of slides, crawling tunnels and other bits to explore made out of scrap metal and other pieces of what are usually referred to as junk. And it's also a ton of fun.

(Photo is from The Telegraph)