The world's local bank
HSBC-sponsored exhibitions open in London and Mexico
09 June 2005
HSBC's latest sponsorship - and its first ever cultural arts exchange - has begun in the UK and Mexico.
Set to be one of the most popular arts exhibits in London this summer - Frida Kahlo - opened at Tate Modern while a collection of sculptures by British artist Henry Moore are on display at the same time at the Museo Dolores Olmedo in Mexico City.
The arts sponsorship - HSBC's largest ever global programme - is a departure from the norm for the world's second largest bank, which in recent years has become a premier golf sponsor. William Parry, Head of Sponsorship, Group Marketing, says the exchange will help HSBC to bring world-famous exhibitions to arts lovers on opposite sides of the globe. "This sponsorship supports our brand and our strapline as the world's local bank," he adds.
"The exhibitions have been eagerly-awaited by both UK and Mexican audiences and it is fitting for us to be able to deliver such celebrated artworks to two of our most important markets."
Henry Moore's work has proved popular in Mexico, with exhibitions in 1950 and 1982. He was greatly inspired by pre-Columbian art, describing it as the most important single influence on his sculpture; his early work and famous reclining figures were core motifs from that period.
The Kahlo exhibition is the first solo display of the Mexican artist's work for over 20 years, bringing together over 80 of her self-portraits, drawings and still lifes from private collectors and galleries across the world. One of the 20th century's most revered artists, Kahlo is as well known for the tragedy that blighted her life as she is for her work. She only started painting after a bus accident in her teens left her partially paralysed, in constant pain, and unable to have children.
In addition to its sponsorship of the exhibition, HSBC has reinforced its commitment to education by funding a series of educational events and facilities. Together with a programme of arts workshops for young people, it has also sponsored the first-ever interactive multi-media tour to be developed for a temporary exhibition anywhere in the UK. Visitors will get a unique insight into Kahlo's life through video footage and pictures on a hand held computer, as well as a panoramic view of her studio in Mexico via touch-screen kiosks.
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