Transforming Collections Information at Tate: The Case for an Embedded, Artist-Directed and Object-Centred Ethos

Public art institutions in the United Kingdom have been critiqued for emphasising socio-political interpretations of Black and brown artists’ works over their aesthetic and art historical significance. This article examines how these tendencies shape cataloguing and interpretation at Tate, drawing on research from the projects Black Artists and Modernism and Transforming Collections. Through case studies on Sonia Boyce, Keith Piper and Tam Joseph, it explores shifting institutional approaches and argues for an object-centred, artist-directed ethos that foregrounds formal qualities, influences and artists’ voices to fully acknowledge their contributions to art history.