What is it?
As the title suggests, a centre for contemporary art but HUGE. It used to be the Baltic Flour Mills – opened by Joseph Rank Ltd on the Gateshead bank of the Tyne in 1950 – but was derelict when conversion got under way in the 1990s.
Silos were replaced by floors and what founding director Sune Nordgren promised would be a contemporary art ‘factory’ opened with fanfare in 2002.
There have been many highlights since then, including Angel of the North sculptor Antony Gormley’s mass participation Domain Field exhibition in 2003, the hosting of British Art Show 6 in 2005 and the Turner Prize in 2011.
Artists from all over the world have exhibited here, many making their UK debut. Popular with a lot of visitors in normal times are the top level Six restaurant, the bustling BALTIC Kitchen cafe, the elevated viewing galleries (inside and out) and the quirky, colourful ground floor shop.
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art is a bit glorious
Why is it smashing?
Admission is free, for one thing, although donation boxes are strategically placed. Also, the walk to it, whether via Millennium Bridge or Sage Gateshead, is exhilarating.
The building was the star when it opened and that remains the case to some degree. But some fabulous art exhibitions have been mounted here, prompting laughter, wonder, debate and, yes, mystification. What’s certain is that there are young artists now working professionally whose ambitions were fired by a visit to BALTIC.
The sheer size of the place challenges exhibiting artists to scale up their work – one exhibition featured a juggernaut – and the expert curatorial and technical staff have proved equal to just about everything that might initially have seemed impossible.
In the shop, which some never venture beyond, are art, photography and music books that you’re unlikely to find elsewhere on Tyneside and a lot of arty gifts and souvenirs. A Frida Kahlo vase anyone? Or how about a Ziggy Stardust Christmas tree bauble or Angel of the North keyring? For a stocking filler with a difference, this is the place – although you can also now buy online.
Website baltic.art
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Address: South Shore Road, Gateshead NE8 3BA
Images and words: @DavidJWhetstone