현대자동차가 영국 테이트 모던에 향후 10년동안 총 88억원 상당을 지원한다고 테이트 모던이 발표했다. 한국기업이 세계적인 미술관을 지원하는 것은 현대카드가 MOMA에 매년 상당금액을 후원하는 사례가 있다. 이는 한국의 기업들이 글로벌한 시장개척과 이미지 고양을 위해 필요한 일이고 당연한 일처럼 보인다. 하지만 이들 기업이 언제부터 이렇게 문화와 예술에 지대한 관심을 가져왔는지, 또 국내의 문화예술계 또는 미술관 박물관의 지원에는 인색하기 짝이 없으면서 세계적인 미술관, 박물관이라는 이유로 거액, 거금을 그것도 기업오너의 재산이 아닌 기업의 돈, 즉 주주들의 돈을 기부한다는 것은 선듯 납득하기가 힘든 것도 사실이다.언제부터인가 수준낮은(?) 국내에서 놀기보다는 외국의 거대, 유명미술관 박물관을 후원하면 자신들도 문화적 예술적으로 세계적인 수준이라는 생각들을 가지기 시작했다. 이런 바람은 재벌 2, 3세들의 외국 유명식음료를 비롯해서 시계, 의복 등 소위 명품 브랜드를 앞 다투어 선점하고 수입했던 전례에 비추어 볼 때 이런 기부행위가 자신들의 문화적 예술적 지위를 보장해 준다고 믿는 때문일 것이다. 하지만 국내의 낮은 수준(?)을 끌어 올리지 않고, 국내의 수준낮은 시장을 외면하고 고객들이 자신들의 부를 일구어 주었다는 사실을 망각한 채 기업의 오너들만 외국의 하이 소사이어티에 가서 어울리면 한국문화는 어찌될까. 나는 너희들과 다르다는 선민의식때문에 이들이 외국의 유명 미술관에 기부하는 것은 아니겠지만 아무튼 이들 기업이 국내문화예술계에 기여한 바가 거의 전무하다는 점에서 조금은 씁쓸하다. 더구나 어떤 기업의 경우 외국시장, 뉴욕이나 유럽시장에서 영업을 하는 것이 아니라 국내에서 사업소득의 거의 대부분을 올리면서 외국 미술관을 후원한다는 것은 이해하기 쉽지않다. 문득 이 소식을 접하면서 이런 생각이 듭니다. '나 혼자만 잘 살면 뭐하는겨'

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Tate signs £5m sponsorship with Hyundai

Deal will fund ten-year programme of commissions for museum’s Turbine Hall

By Martin Bailey. Web only 

Published online: 20 January 2014

Tate's director, Nicholas Serota, with the UK culture secretary Maria Miller and Euisun Chung, the vice chairman of Hyundai Motor. Photo: © Tate Photography

Tate Modern has inked a sponsorship deal worth around £5m with Hyundai, the South Korean motor manufacturer, to cover a ten-year programme of commissions for its Turbine Hall. The first commission, to be announced later this year, will be for autumn 2015. After that, it is to be an annual autumn event, with each work to go on show for about five months. Previous commissions, sponsored by Unilever, included Louise Bourgeois, Olafur Eliasson, Bruce Nauman, Ai Weiwei and, most recently, Tino Sehgal.

Although the sum of the Hyundai sponsorship is not being disclosed by the museum, it is believed to be around £5m. The deal, which runs for an unusually long period, could well be the largest ever provided to an individual UK gallery or museum (in 2011, BP gave £10m to four arts institutions, including Tate).

Hyundai is also funding Tate’s acquisition of nine pieces by the South Korean artist Nam June Paik, the founder of video art. He died in 2006 and the works come from his estate. They will go on display this autumn. 

Meanwhile, work is proceeding apace on Tate Modern’s extension. When the Herzog and De Meuron-designed building opens (scheduled for 2016), it will make the Turbine Hall the centre of the Bankside museum. This huge space was originally the main hall of the former power station. A bridge between the existing upper galleries and the extension to the south has just been completed. It was visited by culture secretary Maria Millar today, 20 January. Of the total cost of the £215m extension, £183m has now been raised (£11m more than a year ago). 

현대자동차 테이트모던에 5백만 파운드 후원 터빈홀 운영 지원키로 런던 테이트모던의 간판 프로그램 중 하나인 터빈홀 운영에 현대자동차가 관여키로 했다. 아트뉴스페이퍼에 따르면 테이트 모던은 향후 10년간 현대자동차가 터빈홀의 운영기금 5백만 파운드(약88억원)를 후원하기로 한 스폰서쉽 계약을 맺었다고 밝혔다. 이날 조인식에는 테이트의 니콜라스 세라토(Nicolas Serato) 관장과 영국문화부 마리아 밀러(Maria Miller) 장관 그리고 정의선 현대자동차 부회장이 참석했다. 현대자동차는 이외에도 테이트가 최근 구입한 백남준의 비디오작업 9점에도 자금도 지원했다.(1파운드=1,763원)

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