The recesses (spaces carved into the wall surface) of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's facade were originally created to house classical sculptures when the building was completed in 1902, but they remained empty for over a century. Since 2019, sculptures by contemporary artists have filled these spaces, and starting in 2024, Genesis took on a five-year sponsorship role, leading to the exhibition being named "The Genesis Facade Commission." It is the first exhibition that visitors encounter when visiting the museum.
When I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue in New York, USA, on the morning of the 2nd (local time), the area was already bustling with visitors before opening hours. Four large sculptures sponsored by Genesis were installed on the front exterior wall of the museum, which boasts a history of over 150 years. Below them, visitors constantly moved back and forth, looking up at the artworks and reading the informational placards.
Genesis and Hyundai Motor are investing in cultural and artistic marketing by partnering with museums that represent New York. By continuing exhibitions bearing the brand name in spaces that serve as the face of world-class museums, they are building a premium image while also broadening the scope of their art patronage through long-term partnerships.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has been hosting the "The Genesis Facade Commission: Liu Wei, Speculation" exhibition since the 17th of last month. In this series, which features four large sculptures by a newly selected artist each year on the exterior wall, Liu Wei is the third artist chosen, following Lee Bul and Jeffrey Gibson. He is the first mainland China-based artist to be invited for a museum facade exhibition in its history.
Of the four sculptures in this exhibition, the two tallest measure 5 meters, making them the largest works in the history of the facade exhibitions. Each weighs approximately 2 tons. All four pieces incorporate the form of "human hands." Leslie M., a contemporary art curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, explained that "the hand forms extend beyond the boundaries of the recesses and reach outward," describing it as "an attempt to break down the boundaries of the museum space and actively approach visitors." She added, "Genesis has been sponsoring the Metropolitan Museum of Art's facade commission for a long time."
Once the exhibition ends, the Metropolitan Museum of Art holds the right to acquire the works with priority. Of the works submitted for "The Genesis Facade Commission: Lee Bul, Long Tail Halo," the first exhibition sponsored by Genesis in 2024, one piece featuring a human form has been acquired by the museum and is currently displayed indoors. The work combines forms from Greek and Roman styles, Cubism, and Futurism.
Hyundai Motor is also strengthening its art patronage by consecutively forming long-term partnerships with major New York museums. At The New Museum, located approximately 8 kilometers from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the "Hyundai Translocal Series: Ho Chu Nien" exhibition, sponsored by Hyundai Motor, has been running since the 24th of last month. This is a Hyundai partnership in which domestic and international artists collaborate on joint research, new production, and exhibitions. The New Museum and the Ulsan City Art Museum will hold a total of three jointly curated exhibitions, once each year, until 2028.
Hyundai Motor entered into a 10-year long-term partnership with the Whitney Museum in 2024 and will sponsor five editions of the Whitney Biennial through 2032. It also operates the "Hyundai Terrace Commission," which features large-scale installation works on the museum's fifth-floor outdoor terrace every year. The partnership with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), which began in 2015, has been extended until 2037.
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