Anicka Yi to undertake 2020 Hyundai Commission for the Turbine Hall

Anicka Yi. Photo credit: David Heald

Tate Modern and Hyundai Motor today announced that Anicka Yi will create the next annual Hyundai Commission. Her new site-specific work for the Turbine Hall will be open to the public from 6 October 2020 to 10 January 2021.

Anicka Yi explores the links between art and science. While drawing from the research of philosophers who are concerned with emerging forms of life and intelligence, her work also addresses present day questions around migration, class and gender. She is known for the way her works activate different senses and for experimenting with unorthodox materials that have ranged from tempura batter to kombucha leather. At the 2019 Venice Biennale, Yi created giant pods made of kelp filled with animatronic insects, as well as panels of soil in which an artificial intelligence controlled the environment of living organisms. Other recent projects have featured a fragrance incorporating chemical compounds from humans and ants, and a display of metal pins corroding in ultrasonic gel. Continuing her highly experimental cross-disciplinary approach, this year’s Hyundai Commission will be Yi’s largest and most ambitious project to date.

Frances Morris, Director, Tate Modern said:

“Anicka Yi has developed a reputation for highly innovative work. Her installations are unforgettable, using the latest scientific ideas and experimental materials in unexpected ways. The results not only engage the senses, but also tackle some of the big questions we face today about humanity’s relationship to nature and technology.”

Wonhong Cho, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Hyundai Motor, said: “We are delighted to support the sixth annual Hyundai Commission by Anicka Yi. Her exploratory and interdisciplinary works add valuably to contemporary conversations surrounding art and science, and we look forward to how her work will reflect on the ever-evolving connections between humans and technologies.”

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. 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 gives artists an opportunity to create new work for this unique context. The commissions are made possible by the long-term partnership between Tate and Hyundai Motor, confirmed until 2025 as part of the longest initial commitment from a corporate partner in Tate’s history.

Hyundai Commission 2020 will be curated by Mark Godfrey, Senior Curator, Petra Schmidt, Production Manager, and Carly Whitefield, Assistant Curator. It will be accompanied by a new book from Tate Publishing.

About Anicka Yi

Anicka Yi was born in Seoul in 1971 and now lives and works in New York City. She has been the subject of solo exhibitions at museums including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, Kunsthalle Basel, and the Fridericianum in Kassel. Her work featured in the Venice Biennale in 2019, the Whitney Biennial in 2017 and the Gwangju Biennale in 2016, as well as in many group exhibitions around the world. She won the Hugo Boss Prize in 2016 and has held residencies and fellowships at the Berggruen Institute in Los Angeles, the Headlands Center for the Arts, and the Center for Art Science and Technology at MIT.

About Hyundai Motor's Art Projects

Hyundai Motor Company has been supporting art initiatives driven by long-term partnerships with global museums―the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), Tate and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) since 2013, along with major sponsorships for the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2015, 2017, 2019 and the 20th and 21st Biennale of Sydney.

The newly established Hyundai Tate Research Centre: Transnational encourages innovative ways of thinking about art and global art histories, and in partnership with global media group Bloomberg, Hyundai Motor Company connects international audiences with artists exploring the convergence of art and technology.

About Hyundai Motor Company

Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Company offers a range of world-class vehicles and mobility services in more than 200 countries. Hyundai Motor sold more than 4.4 million vehicles globally in 2019, and currently employs some 120,000 personnel worldwide. The company is enhancing its product lineup with vehicles designed to help usher in a more sustainable future, while offering innovative solutions to real-world mobility challenges. Through the process Hyundai aims to facilitate ‘Progress for Humanity’ with smart mobility solutions that vitalize connections between people and provide quality time to its customers.

 *아니카 이, 구겐하임 휴고보스상 수상전 'Life is Cheap'