Dust cloud settles over dissident Tate offering

A vast carpet of more than 100 million porcelain "seeds" in London's Tate Modern gallery has been declared out of bounds to art lovers only two days after it opened – as it poses a health threat.

By The Newsroom

Published 15th Oct 2010, 23:31 BST

Visitors were initially allowed to walk on the imitation sunflower seeds, which cover 1,000 square metres of the Turbine Hall, but that has now changed.

A Tate spokeswoman said: "Although porcelain is very robust, the enthusiastic interaction of visitors has resulted in a greater than expected level of dust in the Turbine Hall. Tate has been advised that this dust could be damaging to health following repeated inhalation over a long period of time. In consequence, the gallery, in consultation with the artist, has decided not to allow visitors to walk across the sculpture."

The seeds, which were individually handcrafted by skilled artisans, are the idea of Chinese artist Ai Weiwei.

The ceramic seeds were moulded, fired at soaring temperatures, hand-painted and then fired again over the course of two years.

Sunflower seeds are a popular Chinese street snack but also hold another meaning for the artist, political dissident in China.