History in the Making
25 Apr - 13 Jul 2008
I don’t want to get over you, 2000
inkjet print
Courtesy: The Artist and Maureen Paley, London
A Reprospective of the Turner Prize
"Who do you think will win the Turner?" — That's a constant topic of conversation in the U.K. each fall. “The Turner Prize” is one of the most significant awards in the world of contemporary art, and its exhibition and prize ceremony have become high profile events. The ceremony is broadcast live each year, and the winner receives major coverage in the national and international media. ‘History in the Making’ is the first single exhibition to bring together works by all the past recipients of “The Turner Prize” following the trends of British contemporary art and conveying the vibrance of art at this hub of international artistic activity. Hosted by Tate Britain*, the Prize was established in 1984 by The Patrons of New Art, a group of Tate Gallery benefactors, for the purpose of encouraging new art. Its name is taken from Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851), a British artist who is particularly well-known in Japan. The Prize is unique among art prizes because it includes new development in a range of media – including not only painting, sculpture or photography. A Turner Prize exhibition is held each year to exhibit works by a shortlist of nominated artists, who must be under 50 and either British or resident in the U.K. A single winner is then chosen from among the nominees.
"History in the Making" examines a period that covers New British Sculpture of the 1980s, the Young British Artists (YBAs) of the 1990s, and the latest trends from 2000 onwards. It traces the transitions in British contemporary art over more than 20 years. Today the prize-winning artists are active worldwide, but taking a retrospective look at the Turner Prize reveals the surprising reliability with which this authoritative award has pointed to new directions in art over the years. The exhibition focuses principally on works made by each recipient at around the time when he or she won the Prize, allowing viewers to experience firsthand the very same wit, humor, concepts, pop-culture, or sheer emotional impact that originally impressed the Prize's judges. It is an opportunity to reencounter the massive stimulus exerted worldwide by this focus for contemporary art over the years.
* Tate Britain (Tate Gallery until 2001) is a U.K. national art museum that first opened in 1897. As a one-year exception, the 2007 Turner Prize exhibition was hosted by Tate Liverpool.
Prize Recipients
1984 Malcolm Morley
1985 Howard Hodgkin
1986 Gilbert & George
1987 Richard Deacon
1988 Tony Cragg
1989 Richard Long
1990 Prize suspended
1991 Anish Kapoor
1992 Grenville Davey
1993 Rachel Whiteread
1994 Antony Gormley
1995 Damien Hirst
1996 Douglas Gordon
1997 Gillian Wearing
1998 Chris Ofili
1999 Steve McQueen
2000 Wolfgang Tillmans
2001 Martin Creed
2002 Keith Tyson
2003 Grayson Perry
2004 Jeremy Deller
2005 Simon Starling
2006 Tomma Abts
2007 Mark Wallinger
Tate
The Tate (formerly the Tate Gallery) is a group of four U.K. national art museums, comprising Tate Britain (opened 1897, renamed 2001), Tate Modern (opened 2000), Tate Liverpool (opened 1988), and Tate St Ives (opened 1993). Tate Gallery was first established as a museum of British art to bring together works from the National Gallery and from the personal collection of Sir Henry Tate. In fiscal 2006, a total of 7.7 million people visited the four galleries.