Hyundai Motor announces major long term partnership with Tate

Hyundai Motor Company, the fastest-growing automaker by brand, has today announced an 11-year partnership (2014-2025) with Tate, one of the world's top art institutions based in the U.K.

The collaboration - which is founded, say the two parties, upon Hyundai's and Tate's commitment to worldwide innovation - is the longest of its kind in the Tate's history. The aim of the partnership is "to encourage the organic and sustainable development of this community through the engagement of contemporary talent and a greater understanding of new audiences".

The press conference, which took place today in Tate Modern's Turbine Hall, was attended by the UK Secretary of State for Art, Culture, Media & Sport, Maria Miller MP, and executives including Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor, Euisun Chung, Director of Tate, Nicholas Serota and Director of Tate Modern, Chris Dercon.

"At Hyundai Motor, we understand that cars can provide much more than transportation. They can connect with people emotionally and it is this same feeling that connects people to great art. This is the nature of our partnership with Tate", said Hyundai Motor's Vice Chairman Euisun Chung. "We are excited about the new possibilities that lie ahead and are very privileged to be working together with the Tate on this inspiring collaboration".

"We look forward to working together with Hyundai, exploring the most innovative and creative ideas from around the world", said director of Tate, Nicholas Serota. "Hyundai's commitment to Tate will give us an unprecedented opportunity to plan for the future, and will secure a decade of exciting new Turbine Hall commissions for all Tate Modern's visitors".

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 five millions each year. The way artists have interpreted this vast industrial space has revolutionised public perceptions of contemporary art in the twenty-first century. The annual Hyundai Commission will give more artists an opportunity to create new work for this unique context.

The Hyundai Commission will continue Tate Modern's focus on widening the geographical view beyond previous legacies by discovering talents in all areas of the world. Further, Hyundai's support for art, says the company, will go beyond the Turbine Hall, and will expand to other areas such as South America, the Asia Pacific region, the Middle East, Russia and Eastern Europe.

In addition, marking the start of this new partnership, Hyundai has joined forces with Tate's Asia Pacific Acquisitions Committee to support a major acquisition for Tate's collection, dramatically improving the museum's holdings of art from Asia. The acquisition consists of nine key works by the renowned South Korean artist Nam June Paik (1932-2006). Often considered the founder of video art, Paik explored humanity's ever-changing relationship with technology, from radio and television to robotics and computing. A major retrospective was presented at Tate Liverpool in 2010 and this acquisition is the first time the artist's work has entered Tate's collection. These nine works span forty years of his pioneering career and will go on display at Tate Modern later this year.

Today's announcement also coincides with the completion of a newly-built bridge across the top of the Turbine Hall. Designed by Herzog & de Meuron, this bridge joins the existing galleries on level 4 of Tate Modern to the new building being developed to the south. Opening to the public in 2016, this project will transform Tate Modern with the Turbine Hall at its heart, offering in due course dramatic new views on The Hyundai Commission.

Aside from Tate, Hyundai has a ten-year partnership with MMCA (National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art) in Seoul, which allows MMCA to invent a strong promotional platform for Korean artists. As Hyundai strongly believes that a true art experience is not possible from a one-time event, it plans to continue sustainable commitment for the art community.

Photograph copyright Hyundai Motor UK Ltd.

Note: Tate was the first entry on The UK Sponsorship Database, in May 2000.