Tate’s art loans throw lifeline to British galleries

The Tate made a record number of artwork loans to institutions in Britain and overseas last year, building partnerships that could help galleries survive spending cuts.

Sir Nicholas Serota, the Tate galleries' director, said the loans programme was the most successful ever, with 887 works going to 130 venues in the UK.

A further 443 were lent to galleries around the world including a Turner sent to Beijing and a René Magritte to Mexico City. In addition, 15 Tate exhibitions visited nearly 20 international venues in 10 countries.

Sir Nicholas said: "Through our developing partnership network, we will continue to share expertise and exchange ideas with galleries across the UK to help develop their audiences and income streams, contributing to their sustainability at a time when funding is likely to fall."

The strategy also reflects a shift in the focus of Tate's own collections, with a drive under way to counter criticisms that they have a narrow-minded Western slant.

Tate bought more work created by international artists than in previous years, including some from Algeria, Iran, Korea, South Africa and Turkey.

"This year we have taken our collection in new directions. It has been enriched through the energetic focus of our curators on acquiring works from dynamic emerging art centres across the world," Sir Nicholas said.

Future shows will reflect that greater internationalism, with shows at Tate Modern including a retrospective of Mexican artist Gabriel Orozco; the first major retrospective of the German Gerhard Richter for more than two decades; and the first of the Spaniard Joan Miró for nearly half a century.

The programme at Tate Britain includes an exhibition on 19th-century British Romantic artist John Martin, plus shows on the Vorticists and on 800 years of the watercolour.