Artists Upset By Tate's BP Deal

Dean Nicholas
By Dean Nicholas Last edited 165 months ago
Artists Upset By Tate's BP Deal

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Photo / charlietyack
A group of creative artists are planning to picket Tate Britain's summer party this evening over the gallery's continued relationship with blundering oil giant BP.

The company has sponsored Tate for two decades, and despite BP's disgraceful management of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, there appears no will on the Tate's part to sever a loyal source of lucre. In a letter, published in The Guardian, the group, which includes Caryl Churchill and Martin Rowson but few other recognisable names, said that carrying the BP logo "represents a stain on Tate's international reputation", and likened it to the stigma of taking sponsorship from a tobacco company.

These protests are unlikely to be the last this summer; a group called Good Crude Britainia is planning to target other cultural institutions that pocket the oil-slicked BP fivers, including the British Museum and the Royal Opera House.

In other Tate news, the new installation in the Duveen Galleries, by artist Fiona Banner, opens today. Sponsorship for this one comes from Sothebys, which should prove less controversial.

Last Updated 28 June 2010