Tate today announced the four artists who have been shortlisted for the Turner Prize 2004. The artists are Kutlug Ataman, Jeremy Deller, Langlands & Bell and Yinka Shonibare. The Turner Prize 2004 is sponsored for the first time by Gordon’s gin.
Kutlug Ataman makes poignant and incisive video installations which describe the lives of individuals, creating intimate portraits while addressing broader social concerns, as shown at the Istanbul Biennial last year and other European venues.
Jeremy Deller is shortlisted for Memory Bucket, a mixed-media installation at ArtPace, San Antonio, documenting his travels through the state of Texas. This continued Deller’s personal investigation of the social and cultural make-up that defines different societies.
Langlands & Bell are shortlisted for The House of Osama bin Laden, an exhibition first shown at The Imperial War Museum, London, featuring photographs, digital animations and video works made following their visit to Afghanistan, extending their interest in buildings, their histories and how we relate to them.
Yinka Shonibare is shortlisted for his sculptural installations in which he continues to use African fabric to subvert conventional readings of cultural identity, as seen in his exhibition Double Dutch at the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam and in his solo show at Stephen Friedman Gallery, London.
As part of the three-year sponsorship, Gordon’s will increase the value of the Turner Prize to £40,000. The Prize is awarded to a British artist under fifty for an outstanding exhibition or other presentation of their work in the twelve months preceding 9 May 2004. It was established in 1984 by Tate’s Patrons of New Art and is intended to promote public discussion of new developments in contemporary British art. It is widely recognised as one of the most important and prestigious awards for the visual arts in Europe.
Work by the shortlisted artists will be shown in an exhibition at Tate Britain from 20 October – 23 December 2004. The winner will be announced at Tate Britain on Monday 6 December during a live broadcast by Channel 4.
The members of the Turner Prize 2004 Jury are: Catherine David, Director, Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art, Rotterdam; Adrian Searle, Art Critic, The Guardian; Robert Taylor, representative of the Patrons of New Art; David Thorp, Curator, Contemporary Projects, Henry Moore Foundation and Nicholas Serota, Director, Tate and Chairman of the Jury.
Information and features on the Turner Prize and its history can be found online at www.tate.org.uk/turnerprize.