LIBERATE TATE

is an art collective dedicated to making creative disobedient work at Tate institutions until it drops its oil company funding. They have become internationally renowned for artworks about the relationship of public institutions with oil companies.

The collective was founded during a Tate workshop in January 2010 on art and activism. When Tate curators tried to censor the workshop from making interventions against Tate sponsors, even though none had been planned, the participants decided to continue their work together and set up Liberate Tate. In December 2011 Liberate Tate, with arts and research organisation Platform and activist group Art Not Oil, released a publication ‘Not if but when: Culture Beyond Oil’ on oil sponsorship of the arts.

In March 2012 Liberate Tate, with Art Not Oil and Platform, released ‘Tate à Tate’. An alternative Audio Tour to the official Tate Multimedia Guide for the three locations of Tate Britain, Tate Modern and the Tate Boat.

Liberate Tate have enhanced performances with evidence of the voice of Tate members and visitors as the art collective argue Tate itself has appeared to not make any meaningful effort to assess their views. Given this, Liberate Tate gave stakeholders this opportunity with an Open Letter to Tate director in late 2011, signed by over 8,000 people in just three weeks with a call to disengage with BP given the damage being caused by the company to ecosystems, communities and the climate.

http://www.liberatetate.org.uk