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BP is using Tate ties to improve its image, say campaigners

Governance | Niki May Young | 16 Oct 2012

Campaigners who donated a sculpture to the Tate Modern in protest at its acceptance of support from oil company BP, have had their offering, known as The Gift, rejected by the gallery.  

Expressing disappointment at the decision, Liberate Tate advised it believes BP is using its ties to the gallery to boost its public image.  

Over 100 Liberate Tate protestors planted the 16.5m wind turbine blade in the art gallery's Turbine Hall on 7 July in an act of defiance against its links to the oil giant. Under the provisions of the Museums and Galleries Act 1992, which governs the Tate, the gallery is required to accept the sculture as it is a 'gift to the nation'.

However, writing on 5 October, Sir Nicholas Serota, director of the gallery said it would not be accepting The Gift "in line with the current strategy, commitments and priorities for the Collection and the size of the object in relations [sic] to existing pressures on collection care". It would, however retain the documentation and images supplied with The Gift, "as a record of the action at Tate Modern".

The artists were told they had until today (16 October) to collect the blade from the premises or it would be "recycled", unless the Tate heard from the group. Liberate Tate issued Sir Nicholas a letter yesterday, prior to this deadline, requiring clarification of the Tate's reasoning.

In its letter to Sir Nicholas, Liberate Tate said: "In declining The Gift, Tate says that the work is not in line with the current strategy. Yet the trustees have an agreed policy of working with artists and audiences to inspire new thinking around sustainability and Tate is committed 'to find appropriate and imaginative ways to reflect the responses and commitment of artists [that] engage with environmental issues in their work and have chosen to be vocal in public debate... to maximise the potential for public engagement and discussion through art'. Clearly, The Gift meets the public criteria of this strategy," the group said. 

Liberate Tate believes that the oil giant is using its affiliation with the charity in order to boost its own image. Sharon Palmer, from the campaign group, said:

"Recent studies have shown that BP sponsorship of the Olympics managed to improve the public perception of the company, despite the fact that they are continuing to devastate the climate...Tate's relationship with BP is fulfilling the same function in actively helping the oil giant to avoid accountability for countless destructive activities." 

The Tate Modern hosts free BP-sponsored curations such as the BP British Art Displays which are available every day, and special events such as BP Saturdays, a one-off, family-centric art fair. 

In a statement Tate said: "Following Tate’s acquisition process, the proposed gift was first discussed by Tate’s internal collections group, which recommended to the board that the offer of the gift be declined, but that the supporting material, comprising performance documentation and related images, be accepted into Tate’s archive as a record of the action at Tate Modern. The board discussed this recommendation at their meeting in September and formally agreed to adopt it as the board’s decision. Lord Browne was not present at the meeting."


 

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Directory: Tate Gallery