Your guide to the Turner Prize

The news that the most prestigious art prize (The Turner Prize) in Britain will arrive on the sunny shores of Thanet tomorrow has got everyone excited. Margate will benefit from a flood of arty-types, the world’s media and a small-fortune injected into the local economy.

So, what exactly is the Turner Prize? Given its setting at Turner Contemporary you’d be right in making the connection between the land and seascape artist JMW Turner and the prize. It is named after a man widely considered as one of the finest artists the world has ever seen, although, like Shakespeare, in his lifetime he wasn’t appreciated nor given the just-credit he probably deserved, as he did not obey the traditions of the art world. This is why the prize rightly picked him as its namesake as its winners are often cut from the same silk, as in, they too are trying to change the traditions of the visual arts. The shortlisted artists receive a spike of global interest as soon as they are announced. As for the winner, they receive £25,000 in prize money and become internationally recognisable and sought after. The four artists who have been shortlisted for the Turner Prize 2019 will be exhibited here at Turner Contemporary Margate from 28th September 2019 until the 12 January 2020.

Tate Britain announced the four artists who have been shortlisted for the Turner Prize 2019:

LAWRENCE ABU HAMDAN

Lawrence Abu Hamdan (born 1985, in Amman) is acontemporary artist based in Beirut. His work looks into thepolitical effects of listening, using various kinds of audio to explore its effects on human rights and law.

HELEN CAMMOCK

Helen Cammock (born 1970, in London) works across moving image, photography, writing, poetry, spoken word, song, performance, printmaking and installation. She is interested in histories, storytelling and the excavation, re-interpretation and representation of lost, unheard and buried voices.

OSCAR MURILLO

Oscar Murillo (born 1986 in La Paila, Colombia) is a Colombian artist working within the painting tradition. He currently lives and works in various locations. His work incorporates a variety of techniques and media including painting, drawing, performance, sculpture and sound, often using recycled materials and fragments from his studio.

TAI SHANI

Tai Shani (Born 1976, in London) Shani uses theatrical installations, performances
and films to create her own allegorical city of women populated by fantastical characters, transporting
the viewer to another time and place. Critics and Juries have noted the compelling nature of Shani’s ongoing project Dark Continent, particularly the work’s ability to combine historical texts with contemporary references and issues.

One of the best-known prizes for the visual arts in the world, the Turner Prize, aims to promote public debate around new developments in contemporary British art. Established in 1984, the prize is named after JMW Turner (1775-1851) and aims to promote public interest in contemporary British art. It is awarded to a British artist for an outstanding exhibition or other presentation of their work in the past twelve months. It is the first time that the venue for the Turner Prize, outside of London, has had a direct connection with JMW Turner. Turner Contemporary stands on the site of the artist’s lodging house and enjoys views of the skies that Turner felt were ‘the loveliest in all Europe’.

The winner will be announced on 3rd December live on the BBC and broadcast around the world. 

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