Art
Artist of Black Portraiture Leads Turner Prize Shortlist
The nominees for the prestigious art award also include a sculptor, a humorous installation artist and a filmmaker whose work explored the impact of the pandemic.
Barbara Walker, a British artist who draws huge portraits of Black people onto gallery walls, and Jesse Darling, a sculptor whose works evoke fragile bodies, are among the artists nominated for this year’s Turner Prize, the prestigious British visual arts award.
The four-strong shortlist was announced on Thursday at a news conference at the Tate Britain art museum in London.
Walker, 58, is perhaps the highest-profile artist to be nominated, with works in the collections of Tate, the British Museum and the Yale Center for British Art.
She is nominated for “Burden of Proof,” which appeared last year at the Sharjah Biennial in the United Arab Emirates, and included charcoal portraits of people affected by Britain’s “Windrush scandal,” in which some long-term British residents, originally from the Caribbean, were misidentified as illegal immigrants and threatened with deportation. Walker drew these portraits directly onto the gallery walls, as well as onto copies of the paperwork that the British government demanded the residents produce.
In a 2020 interview with The New York Times, Walker, who did not go to art school until her late 20s and gradually built a career in middle age, said that her work could be about reclaiming visibility for people society ignores. “With visibility comes worth, and with worth comes humanity,” Walker said.
Darling, 41, was nominated for two recent solo exhibitions at British museums that included sculptures made using clay and metal mobility aids, bent so that they looked like they were crawling across the floor.
At Thursday’s news conference, Melanie Keen, the director of the Wellcome Collection and one of the Turner Prize judges, praised Darling’s “fragile and often precarious sculptures” evoking vulnerable bodies.
Founded in 1984, the Turner Prize is one of the art world’s major awards. Many of its past winners, who include Steve McQueen, Damien Hirst and Gilbert & George, have become global stars. Every year British art critics use the prize as an excuse to praise, bemoan or mock the state of contemporary art.
Last year, the prize went to Veronica Ryan, a sculptor whose work has been shown at the Whitney Biennial.
Alongside Walker and Darling, the other nominees are:
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Ghislaine Leung, an installation artist nominated for “Fountains” at the Simian exhibition space in Copenhagen, Denmark. That show featured water pouring through the building’s ceiling and a baby monitor that visitors could use to observe the gallery’s staff at work. Helen Nisbet, the artistic director of the Art Night festival and one of this year’s judges, said at Thursday’s news conference that Leung, 42, impressed the jury “with her rethinking of the gallery space” and work filled with “warmth, humanity and humor.”
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Rory Pilgrim, a multimedia artist and musician, nominated for “Rafts,” a film shown at London’s Serpentine Gallery that included residents of the city making art and music and reading poems about the coronavirus pandemic and climate change. The film received mixed reviews in Britain. Ben Luke, writing in The Evening Standard, said it was “often heartbreakingly beautiful,” while Eddy Frankel, writing in Time Out, called it “cold and stilted.”
The winner of this year’s prize will be announced on Dec. 5 in a ceremony at Towner Eastbourne, a museum in southern England. The winner will receive 25,000 pounds, about $31,000. An exhibition of the nominees’ work will run at the same museum from Sep. 28 through Apr. 14.
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The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House has reopened its doors to the public after a fire swept through the historic building in central London. While the gallery has resumed operations, the rest of the iconic site remains closed “until further notice.”
On Saturday, approximately 125 firefighters were called to the scene to battle the blaze, which sent smoke billowing across the city. Fortunately, the fire occurred in a part of the building not housing valuable artworks, and no injuries were reported. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire.
Despite the disruption, art lovers queued outside the gallery before it reopened at 10:00 BST on Sunday. One visitor expressed his relief, saying, “I was sad to see the fire, but I’m relieved the art is safe.”
The Clark family, visiting London from Washington state, USA, had a unique perspective on the incident. While sightseeing on the London Eye, they watched as firefighters tackled the flames. Paul Clark, accompanied by his wife Jiorgia and their four children, shared their concern for the safety of the artwork inside Somerset House. “It was sad to see,” Mr. Clark told the BBC. As a fan of Vincent Van Gogh, he was particularly relieved to learn that the painter’s famous Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear had not been affected by the fire.
Blaze in the West Wing
The fire broke out around midday on Saturday in the west wing of Somerset House, a section of the building primarily used for offices and storage. Jonathan Reekie, director of Somerset House Trust, assured the public that “no valuable artefacts or artworks” were located in that part of the building. By Sunday, fire engines were still stationed outside as investigations into the fire’s origin continued.
About Somerset House
Located on the Strand in central London, Somerset House is a prominent arts venue with a rich history dating back to the Georgian era. Built on the site of a former Tudor palace, the complex is known for its iconic courtyard and is home to the Courtauld Gallery. The gallery houses a prestigious collection from the Samuel Courtauld Trust, showcasing masterpieces from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Among the notable works are pieces by impressionist legends such as Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne, and Vincent Van Gogh.
Somerset House regularly hosts cultural exhibitions and public events, including its popular winter ice skating sessions in the courtyard. However, for now, the venue remains partially closed as authorities ensure the safety of the site following the fire.
Art lovers and the Somerset House community can take solace in knowing that the invaluable collection remains unharmed, and the Courtauld Gallery continues to welcome visitors, offering a reprieve amid the disruption.
Sudbury’s annual art and music festival is marking a significant milestone this year, celebrating its long-standing impact on the local cultural scene. The festival, which has grown from a small community event to a major celebration of creativity, brings together artists, musicians, and visitors from across the region for a weekend of vibrant performances and exhibitions.
The event features a diverse range of activities, from live music performances to art installations, workshops, and interactive exhibits that highlight both emerging and established talent. This year’s milestone celebration will also honor the festival’s history by showcasing some of the artists and performers who have contributed to its success over the years.
Organizers are excited to see how the festival has evolved, becoming a cornerstone of Sudbury’s cultural landscape. “This festival is a celebration of creativity, community, and the incredible talent we have here in Sudbury,” said one of the event’s coordinators. “It’s amazing to see how it has grown and the impact it continues to have on the arts community.”
With this year’s milestone celebration, the festival promises to be bigger and better than ever, with a full lineup of exciting events, workshops, and performances that will inspire and engage attendees of all ages.
The festival’s milestone is not just a reflection of its past success but a celebration of the continued vibrancy of Sudbury’s arts scene.
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