Hyundai Commission: Mire Lee: Open Wound, Installation View. Photo © Tate (Lucy Green)
Hyundai Tate Partnership
The Hyundai Commission is a unique platform for art. It is an opportunity for some of the world’s most exciting artists to take their ideas to a new level, to realise their ambitions on a monumental architectural scale, and to situate their work within a vibrant public space. Each year, this transformation of the Turbine Hall is a cornerstone of Tate Modern’s programme and of the international art world calendar.
Karin Hindsbo, Director of Tate Modern
At the heart of Hyundai Motor's commitment and Tate's dedication lies the annual Hyundai Commission—a shared effort of forging a boundless future through art. In collaborative spirit, we aspire for the Hyundai Commission to connect people beyond boundaries, serving as an iconic platform to support artistic exploration and to spark meaningful dialogues.
DooEun Choi, Art Director, Hyundai Motor
The Hyundai Commission is made possible by the partnership between Tate and Hyundai Motor. The partnership was founded in 2014 with the longest initial commitment from a corporate partner in Tate’s history, and has now been extended for another decade until 2036. Attracting over 19 million visitors since it began, the Hyundai Commission gives artists the chance to interpret the vast industrial space of the Turbine Hall, producing some of the most bold and memorable artworks of the past decade – from Kara Walker’s spectacular fountain to Anicka Yi’s floating artificial lifeforms. Hyundai Motor will additionally continue their support of the Hyundai Tate Research Centre: Transnational, established in 2019 to develop new perspectives on global art histories. The Centre has transformed how Tate develops and shares art historical knowledge around the world. Its research contributes to exhibitions, displays, acquisitions and events across Tate’s four galleries as well as with a wide network of local and international collaborators.
Hyundai Commission: El Anatsui: Behind the Red Moon, Installation View, Photo © Tate (Ben Fisher Photography).
The Hyundai Commission
Since Tate Modern opened in 2000, the Turbine Hall has hosted some of the world’s most memorable and acclaimed works of contemporary art, reaching an audience of millions each year. In 2014, Hyundai Motor committed eleven years of support for Tate. This agreement formed part of the longest initial commitment from a corporate partner in Tate’s history.
Each year, the annual Hyundai Commission has constituted a stage for international artists to present new, site-specific installations in the iconic Turbine Hall. The ways in which the Hyundai Commission artists have interpreted the vast industrial space has revolutionised public perceptions of art in the twenty-first century and continues to creatively bring forward many of today’s most pressing sociopolitical and existential concerns.
Artists who have created works in response to the unique space include:
Opening each year at the start of Frieze week, the Hyundai Commission is one of the most important annual moments in Tate’s calendar. Hyundai Commission disrupts the space of the gallery and invites participation, awe and surprise from Tate’s audiences. It serves as an amplification of Tate’s priorities in terms of artistic research and direction and is emblematic our mission to put artists – and our audiences – at the heart of everything we do.
