Liberate Tate
– Artist’s Website –
Oil giant denies decision is result of repeated protests by environmental campaigners.
BP is to end its controversial sponsorship of Tate in 2017 after nearly three decades with the oil giant, The Independent can reveal.
Blaming the “extremely challenging business environment” rather than years of protests against the long-running partnership, the corporate sponsor will part company with the institution next year.
Tate said the company’s long-term support had been an “outstanding example of patronage”. The oil and gas company is also one of the most divisive corporate sponsors of the arts in Britain, with BP and Tate repeatedly targeted by environmental protesters. In recent years, protesters have performed a “mass exorcism” in the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern, and poured out oil-like molasses at Tate’s annual summer party. Art collective Liberate Tate also staged an anti-BP performance in 2011 where a volunteer was doused in oil inside Tate Britain. Other sponsored institutions have also been targeted.
Tate galleries must no longer quietly allow sponsorship from BP
It even ended up in court last year, when an information tribunal in London demanded Tate reveal financial details of BP’s sponsorship. This followed the Freedom of Information request made by Brendan Montague of the campaign group Request Initiative in 2012.
The decision to end its sponsorship was not related to the pressure from activists, a BP spokeswoman said: “They are free to express their points of view but our decision wasn’t influenced by that. It was a business decision.”
Peter Mather, head of BP in the UK, said: “The decision to end our contractual relationship with the Tate has been a very difficult one. It reflects the extremely challenging business environment in which we are operating.”