Hyundai Motor Company and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art have officially extended their landmark cultural partnership through 2037, reinforcing one of the most ambitious and sustained collaborations between a global corporation and a major art institution; originally established in 2015, the alliance represents the largest programmatic commitment ever made by a corporate partner in LACMA’s history, underscoring a shared long-term vision centered on artistic innovation, cross-cultural dialogue, and the convergence of art and technology; over the past decade, the partnership has generated transformative exhibitions, groundbreaking research initiatives, scholarly publications, and sustained funding for experimental artist projects, collectively shaping the global cultural landscape while strengthening ties between Korea and the United States; the newly announced extension signals not only continuity but expansion, introducing major initiatives that will define the next chapter of collaboration and further integrate contemporary art, technological experimentation, and public engagement on an international scale.
A Decade of Transformative Exhibitions and Cultural Exchange
Since its founding in 2015, the partnership between Hyundai Motor Company and LACMA has resulted in eight major exhibitions that have drawn global audiences and critical acclaim; the inaugural year featured immersive and technologically ambitious presentations such as Random International’s Rain Room and Diana Thater: The Sympathetic Imagination, setting a precedent for experiential, forward-looking programming that merges art with sensory innovation; over time, the collaboration broadened its curatorial scope to include diverse artistic voices and transnational perspectives, culminating most recently in Tavares Strachan: The Day Tomorrow Began, on view through March 29, 2026; each exhibition has reflected the shared philosophy that contemporary art can function as a catalyst for dialogue, scientific curiosity, and cultural reflection, aligning closely with Hyundai’s identity as a forward-thinking mobility and technology company; through these projects, the museum has been able to commission new works, mount ambitious installations, and engage audiences with narratives that traverse geography, history, and emerging digital frontiers.
Advancing Korean Art Scholarship on a Global Platform
A central pillar of the partnership has been the advancement of Korean art scholarship and its integration into the global canon; through dedicated research, publications, and exhibitions, Hyundai Motor’s support enabled LACMA to create a new model for exploring Korean art across historical, modern, and contemporary contexts; landmark exhibitions such as Beyond Line: The Art of Korean Writing in 2019 and The Space Between: The Modern in Korean Art in 2022 provided comprehensive examinations of artistic traditions, calligraphic practices, and modernist transformations, offering audiences deeper insight into Korea’s cultural heritage and its evolving artistic expressions; these initiatives were accompanied by scholarly catalogues and educational programming that fostered academic discourse and cross-cultural understanding; the partnership will culminate this cycle with a final exhibition on Korean contemporary art scheduled for 2027, further reinforcing LACMA’s role as a leading institution for Korean art outside of Asia and cementing Hyundai’s commitment to elevating national heritage within a global context.
Sustaining Innovation Through the Art + Technology Lab
Beyond exhibitions and scholarship, Hyundai Motor’s support has been instrumental in sustaining the LACMA Art + Technology Lab, an initiative dedicated to fostering experimental collaborations between artists and technologists; since its inception, the Lab has supported 45 artist projects through grants, research facilitation, and institutional resources, providing creators with the freedom to investigate emerging technologies and speculative futures; projects funded through the Lab have ranged from wearable conceptual works like Jonathon Keats’s Superego Suits and Roadable Synapse to critical digital explorations such as Michael Mandiberg’s Workflow and American Artist’s The Monophobic Response; additional initiatives, including Sarah Rosalena’s Standard Candle and Nancy Baker Cahill’s Substrate, demonstrate the breadth of artistic inquiry enabled by the Lab’s ecosystem; by bridging creative practice and technological experimentation, the program reflects Hyundai’s broader ethos of innovation while positioning LACMA as a laboratory for cultural foresight and interdisciplinary discovery.
Launching the Hyundai Project: A New Biennial Exhibition Series
As part of the renewed partnership, Hyundai Motor Company and LACMA have unveiled a cornerstone initiative titled Hyundai Project, which will debut in 2028; this new biennial exhibition series will spotlight artists with significant ties to Los Angeles and the Pan-Pacific region, emphasizing the city’s role as a cultural nexus bridging the Americas and Asia; each selected artist will create a newly commissioned work specifically for the exhibition, ensuring that the series remains dynamic, forward-looking, and responsive to contemporary discourse; in addition to interior gallery installations, the featured artist will collaborate with the museum to design a monumental banner to be displayed on the exterior of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum at LACMA approximately one year prior to the exhibition’s opening; this public-facing gesture expands the museum’s presence beyond traditional gallery walls, inviting broader community engagement and transforming the campus into an evolving site of artistic intervention; each edition of the Hyundai Project will be accompanied by an in-depth scholarly catalogue, reinforcing the academic rigor and archival value of the initiative.
Expanding the Art + Technology Lab’s Scope and Visibility
Beginning in 2026, the Art + Technology Lab will transition into a new biennial grant cycle supported by Hyundai Motor’s renewed commitment, expanding both the scale and visibility of its programming; in addition to continuing its grants program, the Lab will introduce enhanced public engagement components such as symposiums and demonstration days, providing platforms for artists to present research findings, prototypes, and conceptual frameworks; these expanded activities aim to cultivate dialogue among artists, engineers, scholars, and the broader public, creating a participatory environment where experimental ideas can be shared and critically examined; by adopting a more open and collaborative approach, the Lab intends to strengthen its community of practitioners and foster sustained interaction between artistic and technological fields; this evolution reflects a broader institutional strategy to position LACMA not merely as an exhibition venue but as an incubator for innovation and thought leadership at the intersection of creativity and science.
Leadership Perspectives on a Generative Partnership
Euisun Chung, Executive Chair of Hyundai Motor Group, emphasized that the partnership was founded on a shared ambition to explore the convergence of art and technology while advancing Korean art on an international stage; he expressed enthusiasm for deepening the collaboration, highlighting its role in enhancing access for diverse audiences and encouraging cross-cultural dialogue that resonates with contemporary global realities; similarly, Michael Govan, CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director of LACMA, described the alliance as a long-term generative partnership that has produced significant exhibitions, new acquisitions, scholarship, and opportunities for emerging artists and technologists; he underscored the institution’s excitement about entering the next chapter with renewed energy, noting that the extended agreement reaffirms both organizations’ shared dedication to artistic innovation and global exchange; these leadership perspectives underscore the strategic alignment between Hyundai’s corporate identity as a technology-driven mobility company and LACMA’s mission to expand artistic horizons and cultural understanding.
Publishing a Decade of Impact: All Impossible Deeds
Coinciding with the partnership extension, LACMA is releasing All Impossible Deeds: A Report on the LACMA Art + Technology Lab, 2014–2025, a comprehensive publication documenting the first ten years of the Lab’s activities; edited by Joel Ferree with contributions from Amy Heibel, Claire L. Evans, William Hackman, and David Karwan, the volume provides an in-depth examination of the 45 grant-supported projects that have shaped the Lab’s trajectory; the publication offers behind-the-scenes insights into how artists engage with emerging technologies, interpret cultural shifts, and anticipate future societal transformations; by capturing the intellectual and creative processes underpinning these initiatives, the book serves both as an archival record and as a roadmap for future experimentation; its release marks a reflective milestone, celebrating a decade of innovation while laying the groundwork for expanded ambitions in the years ahead.
Looking Toward 2037 and Beyond
The extension of the partnership through 2037 signals an enduring commitment to sustained cultural investment and strategic collaboration; over the next decade, Hyundai Motor Company and LACMA aim to amplify the global impact of their initiatives, deepen community engagement, and continue nurturing visionary creators at the intersection of art and technology; through the Hyundai Project, expanded Art + Technology Lab programming, and ongoing scholarship in Korean and contemporary art, the collaboration is poised to influence institutional models worldwide; as the boundaries between artistic practice and technological advancement continue to blur, this alliance demonstrates how corporate leadership and cultural stewardship can intersect productively, generating meaningful public value and fostering a dynamic exchange of ideas; by aligning long-term corporate strategy with artistic exploration, Hyundai Motor and LACMA reaffirm their shared belief that innovation flourishes when creativity, research, and global dialogue converge within a sustained and visionary framework.
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