Why are we so obsessed with the 1990s?

Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Tracey Emin and Alexander McQueen: our fascination with the 1990s shows no sign of fading. But a new exhibition at Tate Britain, The 90s: Art and Fashion, challenges the nostalgia surrounding the decade.

“The Cool Britannia moment, which was a campaign to promote Britain as this youth-driven, optimistic, forward-facing nation, actually glossed over the lived realities of so many Britons at this time,” says Tate curator Helen Little.

Little, who curated the exhibition alongside former Vogue editor Edward Enninful, suggests that the show invites audiences to look beyond a nostalgic view of the decade, even if nostalgia may be unavoidable for some visitors.

Among the artists featured is Vinca Petersen, who documented the rise of rave culture, capturing free parties and travelling sound systems across Europe.

“I felt that all the press about this scene and about travellers and about ravers was very negative,” says Petersen.

The 1990s were far from perfect. Yet, coming after the end of the Cold War and before 9/11, the era carried a sense of freedom and possibility that can feel difficult to imagine today. Perhaps that is why we keep returning to the decade and why the exhibition is likely to draw large crowds.

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