This year’s Turner Prize, the world’s leading prize for contemporary art, is currently on show at Towner Eastbourne.

Exhibition

The Turner Prize aims to promote public debate around new developments in contemporary British art.

This year’s Turner Prize exhibition featuring works by the four shortlisted artists is now on view at Towner Eastbourne until 14 April 2024. Entry is free.

The winner will be announced on 5 December at a special ceremony in Eastbourne’s Winter Garden.

Art award

The Turner Prize was established in 1984 and is one of the world’s best-known prizes for the visual arts.

Tate Britain is traditionally the home of the art award, although it regularly travels outside of London. In recent years it has been hosted in Liverpool, Coventry and Margate.

Artists

The artists nominated for the Turner Prize 2023 are Jesse Darling, Ghislaine Leung, Rory Pilgrim and Barbara Walker.

Jesse Darling was nominated for his solo exhibitions No Medals, No Ribbons at Modern Art Oxford and Enclosures at Camden Art Centre. At the Towner, Darling brings together new and recent works in an installation that explores borders, bodies, nationhood and exclusion.

Ghislaine Leung’s practice takes a critical look at the conditions of art production, its presentation and circulation. She has been nominated for her solo exhibition Fountains at Simian, Copenhagen which consisted of five score-based works.

Rory Pilgrim is a multidisciplinary artist nominated for the commission RAFTS at Serpentine and Barking Town Hall, and a live performance of the work at Cadogan Hall, London. At the Towner exhibition, timed screenings of RAFTS and RAFTS:Live are presented alongside paintings, drawings and sculptures.

Barbara Walker works in a range of media and formats, from embossed works on paper to paintings on canvas and large scale charcoal wall drawings. She has been nominated for her presentation entitled Burden of Proof at Sharjah Biennial 15. The exhibition at Towner features large scale charcoal figures drawn directly onto the gallery wall and a series of works on paper.

Towner 100

Towner Eastbourne is celebrating its centenary this year. Hosting the Turner Prize is the centrepiece of ‘Towner 100’ – the gallery’s year-long centenary celebration of arts and culture across Eastbourne.

Founded as ‘an art gallery for the people’, the Towner Collection began in 1920 with Alderman John Chisholm Towner’s bequest of 20 paintings to the people of Eastbourne.

Over the last 100 years, the gallery has been collecting and exhibiting contemporary art and is the largest gallery in the south east.

Gallery

The Turner Prize exhibits can be viewed at Towner Eastbourne. The gallery is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 10.00am to 5pm, and admission is free.

More information about the exhibition, and the gallery, is available at Towner Eastbourne. Do let us know if you visit the exhibition and what you thought.

Exhibition photographs by Angus Mill.