Hyundai Commission 2021: Anicka Yi

Description

Tells the story behind the latest major new work in a series that has transformed perceptions of contemporary art 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 awareness of contemporary art. The annual Hyundai Commission gives artists an opportunity to create new work for this unique context. For the 2021 Hyundai Commission, Anicka Yi will create her largest and most ambitious project to date. Born in South Korea and now living and working in New York, Yi is a conceptual artist known for installations that engage the senses, especially the sense of smell, and for her collaborations with biologists and chemists. In previous artworks she has used an astonishing array of materials and scents to explore questions of technology, identity and labour. Her work draws from the research of philosophers who are concerned with emerging forms of life and intelligence, while also addressing questions around migration, class and gender. Made in collaboration with the artist, the publication includes an enlightening interview about the commission, a section in which Yi poses intriguing questions to leading thinkers and experts from the many fields that have influenced her thinking, and a specially commissioned short story by writer Elvia Wilk. This is the latest volume in a major series that explores the conception and creation of each commission as well as offering an overview of in the artist's work and career leading up to the latest ground-breaking installation.

MARK GODFREY is an independent curator and art historian. From 2007 to 2021 he was Senior Curator, International Art at Tate Modern.