Hyundai Motor Company announced Hyundai Translocal Series, a new partnership that roots itself in fostering dialogues and exchanges between art institutions in Korea and across the globe. The initiative, aimed to support cross-regional artistic collaborations over the next decade, will bring together art institutions to explore translocal themes that shape our interconnected contemporary conditions.
Hyundai Motor will support multi-year endeavors, including joint research, artwork commissions, exhibitions, public programming and publications. The goal is to facilitate long-term relationships among participating institutions, while highlighting how artistic exchanges can encourage diverse perspectives and deepen the breadth of understanding about our times.
“Hyundai Translocal Series proposes a collective platform for expanding access to the arts by deepening translocal collaborations that enable a sustainable arts ecosystem,” said Euisun Chung, Executive Chair of Hyundai Motor Group. “This participatory initiative connects institutions engaged in new artistic practices with multifaceted support, empowering them to collaborate and innovate across diverse creative landscapes.”
The co-curated exhibitions by the partnering institutions will reflect on global interconnectedness in examining each locality and shared values. This approach encourages networks that bridge individuals and communities, local and translocal entities, and the past and future. The exhibitions will be presented at each institution in relation to their local context.
The Hyundai Translocal Series inaugural exchange will involve the Cheongju Craft Biennale 2025 (Cheongju, Korea) and the Whitworth, The University of Manchester (Manchester, UK). These institutions will focus on the theme of ‘craft and community,’ commissioning works by eight artists from Korea and India. The co-curated exhibition will be held at Cheongju Craft Biennale 2025 in September of this year, followed by exhibitions in India in collaboration with the National Crafts Museum & Hastkala Academy (New Delhi, India), and Manchester in February and July 2026 respectively.
Established in 1999, the Cheongju Craft Biennale aims to establish a sustainable biennale model through exploration, connection, communication, and archiving, with this year’s theme being “Re-Crafting Tomorrow.” The Whitworth holds a collection acknowledged as internationally important reflecting Manchester’s role in the history of world textiles with around 20,000 textiles including examples from South Asia.
“We are thrilled to bring together the artistic legacies and exchanges from Cheongju, New Delhi, and Manchester in this unique collaboration,” said Jaeyoung Kang, Artistic Director of the Cheongju Craft Biennale 2025, and Professor Sook-Kyung Lee, Director of the Whitworth. “This groundbreaking project seeks to honor the rich heritage and innovative spirit of these cities, showcasing their shared passion for craftmanship while embracing contemporary interpretations and visions of textile art and its interconnected narratives.”
The second exchange of the Hyundai Translocal Series between the Nam June Paik Art Center (Yongin, Korea) and the Pinacoteca de São Paulo (São Paulo, Brazil) will address shared questions centered on the theme of ‘media and performance.’ Their collaboration will begin with a forum and research trips in São Paulo and Yongin in 2025, followed by co-developed exhibitions at each respective museum from October 2026.
Nam June Paik Art Center is an institution established to share the vision of artist Nam June Paik and to discover future talents inspired by his legacy. Pinacoteca de São Paulo is a museum with an emphasis on Brazilian art from the 19th century to contemporary times, currently hosting a comprehensive and multidisciplinary program including new media.
“We are excited to be a part of the Hyundai Translocal Series deeply dedicated to art and to transnational dialogues between museums, creatives, and audiences,” said Namhee Park, Director of Nam June Paik Art Center, and Jochen Volz, General Director of the Pinacoteca de São Paulo. “Our museums, located in cities on opposite sides of the world and united by the spirit of Nam June Paik, who envisioned encounters transcending time and space by combining technology and art, look forward to collaboratively celebrating Paik’s legacy.”
Over the past decade, Hyundai Motor Company has formed long-term partnerships with organizations that share a commitment towards enabling dialogues and experiences that recognize the power of art to transcend boundaries and bring forward new perspectives.
About Hyundai Motor Company
Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Company is present in over 200 countries with more than 120,000 employees dedicated to tackling real-world mobility challenges around the globe. Based on the brand vision ‘Progress for Humanity,’ Hyundai Motor is accelerating its transformation into a Smart Mobility Solution Provider. The company invests in advanced technologies such as robotics and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) to bring about revolutionary mobility solutions while pursuing open innovation to introduce future mobility services. In pursuit of a sustainable future for the world, Hyundai will continue its efforts to introduce zero-emission vehicles with industry-leading hydrogen fuel cell and EV technologies.
More information about Hyundai Motor and its products can be found at hyundai.com or Newsroom: Media Hub by Hyundai.
About Hyundai Motor’s Art Projects
For over a decade, Hyundai Motor Company has deepened its partnerships with global museums and cultural organizations, including the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), Tate, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Hyundai Motor’s own art initiatives include open-call programs such as the VH AWARD, the Hyundai Blue Prize, and Artlab Editorial, a digital platform dedicated to art writing by transnational voices. Our ongoing collaborations embrace the complexities of the cultural landscape by exploring new ideas and perspectives within and beyond the art ecosystem.
Visit artlab.hyundai.com or follow @hyundai.artlab #HyundaiArtlab to learn more about our partnerships and programs.
