Tuesday 26 November 2013

Turner Prize 2013


The Turner Prize this year was opened on the 23rd October and, for the first time in history, is being held in Northern Ireland at Ebrington. This years show includes works from the four talented nominees; Laure Prouvost, Tino Sehgal, David Shrigley and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye. 
Prouvost is a London based artist who is known for her unique filmmaking skills which are usually combined with  installation, thus creating unpredictable and atmospheric multimedia pieces. Recently she was awarded the Max Mara art prize for women after her successful exhibition at Whitechapel. Her entry for the Turner Prize this year is an installation piece called Wantee and features a mini set of her grandparents house. It houses numerous pieces which her grandfather made, for example teapots, collages and paintings. Combined with a video, once again, she references her fabricated grandfather and his life - how he one day tried to tunnel to Africa through the floor and never  came back.

'Wantee' installation by Prouvost

Seghal, a British-German artist, differs from all of the other nominees. His work exists only in the viewers memory as he doesn't allow photographs or documentation being done. He focuses on the human form, using movement, language and interaction as his tools. The connection between his subject and the audience also plays a big part in his work, and after past success at the Manchester International Festival, many knew his entry for the Turner Prize was going to be on a similar level. He focuses on exchange in his exhibition, and introduces a 'prize' for each member of the audience who takes part in a conversation. Once again however no documentation is allowed, therefore his piece exists ephemerally only allowing different interpretations and changing opinions of what really happened.
Shrigley's entry for the turner prize sparked a few comments from onlookers. In his exhibition he recreates a life drawing room, along with a illy proportioned model and numerous easels, chalk and  crayons. Like Seghal, Shrigley wants an interaction to occur between his exhibition and the audience as they are allowed to try and draw his sculpture (who is urinating in a bucket) on paper. Many individuals believe it is not his larger than life model which adds life to his entry, rather the audiences responses to his work as they are full of character.
Shrigleys exhibition

Last but not least we come across Yiadom-Boakye, whose paintings are her entry for this years Turner Prize. The subjects in her paintings, although all fictional, all are very similar in one sense. They are all black. However, the different paintings do not link in anyway; one subject or two, bending over or lounging, grinning or not... the only other similarity is that her paintings appear to be androgynous. There is no clear difference between man or woman, thus creating just a figure, allowing interpretations from the audience who view her work. Nevertheless, her characters always seem to be full of life, and the context surrounding them add mystery often intriguing onlookers to find out more.


Although all of the artists are very talented, there can only be one winner. The end date for the Turner Prize is the 5th January 2014.

(Tate (2013) Turner Prize 2013. [Online] Available: http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/other-venues/exhibition/turner-prize-2013 [27/11/13]
Tate (2013) Turner Prize 2013 shortlist announced. [Online] Available: http://www.tate.org.uk/context-comment/articles/turner-prize-2013-shortlist-announced) [26/11/13]
The Guardian (2013). The Turner prize 2013 exhibition: go on, get involved. [Online]. Avialable: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/oct/22/turner-prize-2013-exhibition-review [27/11/13])

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