With this year’s Turner Prize taking place at Tate Liverpool, Tate Britain reflects on 23 years of the Prize. A lot less of the controversy and a bit more appreciation is what you can expect to find at the Turner Prize Retrospective exhibition.
Featuring works by all the winning artists since it began in 1984, the exhibition is essentially a trip down memory lane.
Some may argue that the Turner Prize presents a warped, misguided and somewhat over-hyped representation of contemporary British culture. But within the exhibition space it is clear that the Turner Prize documents artistic changes that have taken place in Britain over the last two decades. The retrospective nature of the exhibition highlights the contribution of the shortlisted artists as well as the prize winners. Looking back over the years, the mediums used within their works and even the gender of the artists, are just as important as the prize winning works in building the chapters that make up the Turner’s developing history.
All shortlisted artists are represented through supporting images and material throughout the exhibition with profile films of the artists also available. The exhibition also features talks, web based projects and a new collection of essays discussing the Prize.
All 22 winning artists have work displayed. Highlights include Gillian Wearing’s 60 Minute Silence (1996) and Anish Kapoor’s Untitled (1990) for their overt performative qualities, which continue to create something new for spectators as well as Chris Offili’s dazzling No Woman No Cry (1998). Dedicated to murder victim Stephen Lawrence’s mother, Ofili’s heartfelt social commentary, which holds a lasting significance, acts as a fine example of when the Turner Prize has managed to capture the tone of a nation and tells of the Prize’s continued success in attracting the attention of the press, public and art professionals alike.
Although a few murmurs of disgust can still be heard surrounding artworks like Damien Hirst’s Mother and Child Divided (1993) the retrospective exhibition is somewhat stripped of the usual contention surrounding the Turner Prize. Instead, an air of appreciation exists, as it is an opportunity to understand the works within the here and now, this is what provides the entertainment and makes this exhibition worthwhile.
The Turner Prize: A Retrospective takes a good look at the recent past which makes the exhibition, as it presently stands within today’s context, worth a visit.
Meanwhile, shortlisted for this year’s Turner Prize are Zarina Bhimji, Nathan Coley, Mike Nelson and Mark Wallinger. The winner of this year’s Turner prize will be announced in early December and the Turner Prize will return to Tate Britain in 2008.
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