The Obliteration Room At Tate Modern: 5 Things To Know Before You Go

Have you heard about Yayoi Kusama’s The Obliteration Room At Tate Modern this summer? It’s an interactive art exhibition where visitors are given a sheet of colourful stickers and are invited to stick them anywhere they want.

Yes, absolutely anywhere. I’m having toddler flashbacks.

It’s a brilliant free, summer holiday activity for kids, and adults, if you’re in London this summer (spoiler: it’s also a LOT of fun).

The Obliteration Room At Tate Modern: 5 Things To Know Before You Get Stuck In

1. What Is The Obliteration Room At Tate Modern?

Yayoi Kusama’s The Obliteration Room is a giant white space built in the Tate’s Turbine Hall (like last year’s Mega Please Draw Freely). The art exhibition is designed as a mini apartment, with furniture, and it starts off as being all white.

Everyone, including the adults, are given a sheet of dotty stickers. And unlike with most art exhibitions when you’re not allowed to even get close, with this one you can stick the stickers absolutely anywhere.

The aim is to ‘obliterate’ all of the white with colour.

And they do mean anywhere! You can stick them on the white walls and floor, plus all of the furniture – there’s a bed, wardrobes, kitchen, sofa, and so on.

The room contains lots of all-white items including a table football table you can play, Connect 4, musical instruments that work, plants, soft play toys among others.

There’s even a computer plus mouse.

You can see more in our Instagram Reel of our trip.

2. How Much Does The Obliteration Room cost?

It’s free!

3. Do You Need To Book A Ticket Or Time Slot To The Obliteration Room?

You don’t need a ticket or to book a time slot to the Obliteration Room at Tate Modern. Unlike last year when you needed to book a timed slot for the Tate, in 2022 you can just walk in and take part.

Be warned, you might need to queue though. We were first in when it opened at 10am and there was already was a queue when we left (but it seemed to be moving quickly).

4. How Long Is The Obliteration Room Open For?

It’s open until 29th August.

5. What Will Happen To All The Stickers?

The stickers won’t be removed (unlike in most parent’s houses!). The idea is that the room will get more and more stickered-on over the summer, until all the white is covered.

It’s a ridiculous amount of fun! It also looks incredibly cool and it’s fab to be able to interact so much with everything in the room. We all absolutely loved it. Go get stuck in.

Tate Modern is at Bankside London SE1 9TG. The nearest station is Blackfriars.

More Fun Things To Do In London With Kids This Summer:

The London Transport Museum / The Florence Nightingale Museum / The Natural History Museum / The Horniman Museum and our favourite south London parks and our favourite Nintendo Switch games