Hyundai Commission

Hyundai Commission. An annual artistic intervention staged within the iconic Turbine Hall of the Tate Modern in London. Established through a major partnership, it invites a single internationally renowned artist each year to create a site-specific, large-scale installation for the vast industrial space. The series has become a pivotal event in the global contemporary art calendar, showcasing ambitious new work to millions of visitors.

Overview

The project forms a core part of the artistic programme at one of the world's most visited museums of modern and contemporary art. It directly continues the legacy of the hall's earlier, landmark Unilever Series of commissions, which featured seminal works by artists like Olafur Eliasson and Ai Weiwei. Operating under a long-term agreement, it guarantees the annual production of a new, temporary artwork designed explicitly for the challenging scale and architecture of the cavernous Turbine Hall. These installations often employ diverse media, including sculpture, sound, performance, and immersive environments, pushing the boundaries of artistic practice. The resulting works are typically on view for several months, drawing extensive critical commentary and public engagement.

History and establishment

The initiative was launched in 2015 following the conclusion of the successful Unilever Series partnership. It was established through an eleven-year global partnership between Tate and the Hyundai Motor Company, announced in 2014. This agreement positioned the automotive corporation as a major benefactor for Tate's international projects, encompassing support across all four Tate galleries. The inaugural commission for the Turbine Hall under this new banner opened in October 2015, marking a seamless transition between corporate sponsors. The long-term nature of the funding is considered instrumental in allowing artists and the institution to plan and realize exceptionally complex projects with significant lead times.

Selected commissions and artists

Each annual selection is made by Tate Modern's director and curatorial team, focusing on artists with a proven capacity for monumental, conceptual work. The roster includes some of the most influential figures in contemporary art. Notable commissions have included Abraham Cruzvillegas's *Empty Lot* (2015), an evolving garden of geometric planters, and Philippe Parreno's *Anywhen* (2016), a dynamic environment of film, sound, and light. Later years featured Haegue Yang's intricate sensory landscape *Strange Attractor* (2019) and Anicka Yi's speculative ecosystem *In Love With The World* (2021), which featured floating aerobes. More recent participants include Kara Walker with her powerful fountain installation *Fons Americanus* (2019) and El Anatsui's shimmering cascading tapestry of bottle caps (2023).

Impact and reception

The series has sustained the Turbine Hall's reputation as a premier global platform for ambitious artistic experimentation, consistently generating widespread media coverage and scholarly analysis. Installations frequently address pressing themes such as colonialism, ecology, migration, and technology, sparking public dialogue. Critical reception varies by artist and project, with some works, like those by Kara Walker or Ai Weiwei (from the prior series), provoking intense debate about history and politics. The commissions significantly contribute to the public profile of both the participating artists and Tate Modern, often influencing trends within the international art world and enhancing the museum's educational and outreach programmes.

Funding and partnership

The entire venture is funded by the Hyundai Motor Company as part of a broad, multi-faceted cultural partnership with Tate known as Hyundai Tate Research Centre: Transnational. This collaboration extends beyond the annual commission to support scholarly research, publications, and digital projects exploring transnational perspectives in art history. The scale and duration of the corporate sponsorship are viewed as a model for major museum-corporate alliances in the 21st century, providing essential financial stability for long-term artistic planning. The partnership is regularly evaluated and promoted through joint communications and events involving leadership from both Hyundai and Tate.

Category:Art exhibitions Category:Contemporary art Category:Tate