Anicka Yi

Curator and art historian Mark Godfrey’s Anicka Yi tells the story behind the latest major 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 revolutionized public awareness of contemporary art in the 21st century. 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 used an astonishing array of materials and scents to explore questions of technology, identity, and labor. Her work draws from the research of philosophers who are concerned with emerging forms of life and intelligence, while also addressing present-day questions around migration, class, and gender.

Made in close collaboration with the artist and including an enlightening interview with her about the new work, this volume is part of a major series that explores the conception and creation of each commission and offers an overview of the artist’s work and career leading up to the latest groundbreaking installation.

Includes color illustrations