Hyundai Motor to sponsor Whitney Museum for 10 years

Hyundai Motor Co. and The Whitney Museum of American Art announced a new 10-year partnership that enables artists to test their aspirations and incubate their creativity on Tuesday.

Hyundai Motor will sponsor the Whitney Biennial, held every two years, supporting five biennials from this year until 2032. The 81st Whitney Biennial, starting on Mar. 20 and lasting for five months, marks the beginning of Hyundai's involvement.

Hyundai Motors plans to showcase the Hyundai Terrace Commission exhibition annually at the Whitney Museum's fifth-floor outdoor exhibition space, Test Platform, featuring large-scale installation works across various genres, including sculpture, performance, and multimedia. 

The Whitney Museum of American Art opened in 1931, houses a collection of American art from the 20th century to the present.

“Hyundai Motor will join the Whitney, a museum dedicated to supporting artistic experimentation, in embracing the complexities of our present by inviting visionary artists to share perspectives from their communities,” Hyundai Motor Group's Executive Chairman Chung Euisun said.

“We look forward to how this multiyear partnership for the Whitney Biennial and the Hyundai Terrace Commission will amplify diverse voices, shaping our collective future through boundless explorations,” he added. 

Hyundai actively supports art museums both domestically and internationally, sponsoring institutions such as the Tate Modern in the UK and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in the US.

In South Korea, Hyundai has had a ten-year sponsorship agreement since 2014 with the National Museum of Contemporary Art, supporting exhibitions like the MMCA Hyundai Series and Project Hashtag.

Write to Nan-Sae Bin at binthere@hankyung.com