Coming into its eighth year, the Tate Modern’s annual Hyundai Commission offers up a unique opportunity for artists to take over the gallery’s infamous Turbine Hall – a space that has continued to transform public perceptions of contemporary art, having previously hosted the likes of Phillipe Parreno, Kara Walker and currently Anicka Yi’s floating vision of an ecosystem, the vast industrial space allows for endless possibilities. Chilean artist and poet Cecilia Vicuña has been announced as the next artist commissioned to create within the concrete walls of the Turbine Hall at the end of this year.

A multi-disciplinary artist perhaps best known for inspiring textile sculptures working with environmentally conscious materials, Vicuña’s work explores the crucial subject matter of ecology and social justice. With a career spanning over half a century, the artist’s transient practice incorporates poetry, performance and painting alongside her traditional ritual of weaving. It won’t be the first time Vicuña’s work appears in the Tate, as the gallery recently acquired her monumental piece Quipu Womb (2017) which explores the cycle of the female body and features 50 large strands of red unspun wool spiralling down from the ceiling.

Director of the Tate Modern, Frances Morris says of the commission, “As a tireless champion of ecological awareness and social justice, as well as the creator of stunning and powerful works of art, I am delighted that Tate Modern will be working with Cecilia Vicuña on our next annual Hyundai Commission.”

Cecilia Vicuña’s Hyundai Commission will run at the Tate Modern from October 13th – April 16th 2023.