Liberate Tate, United Kingdom
License to Spill, 2010
Liberate Tate’s performance protested British Petroleum (BP)’s sponsorship of Tate at a time when the corporation’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was ongoing. Artist- activists spilled “oil” throughout Tate Britain’s interior and exterior during its summer 2010 party in a series of performance moments. In this still, giant, discarded “oil” cans (or perhaps miniaturized oil barrels) emblazoned with BP’s logo sit in a slick of “oil” on the sidewalk. The logo’s bright greens and yellows and starburst shape evoke plants, flowers, and sunshine, a stark contrast to the jet black of the cans and now-painted concrete. Though minor in comparison to BP’s oil spill, the abandoned cans signal that this performance was not without ecological impact. In March 2016, Tate announced the end of BP sponsorship. Liberate Tate declared victory. Tate’s current sponsors include BMW, Microsoft, and airline Qantas. Label by Morgan Brittain