There was a special visitor to the Turner Prize 2021 exhibition in Coventry – just weeks away from the winner being announced.
The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum has been showcasing the work of the five nominees for this year’s award since the end of September and the winner will be announced on December 1, 2021 at a ceremony at Coventry Cathedral.
And, during a visit to the region, Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, decided to engage with the work of the five collectives – Array Collective, Black Obsidian Sound System, Cooking Sections, Gentle/Radical and Project Art Works.
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said: “I'm committed to building bridges between London and the rest of the country and highlighting how our cities can help each other to recover from the pandemic. It’s fantastic to be visiting Coventry and to experience some of its incredible City of Culture programme, including the brilliant Turner Prize 2021 exhibition.
“By deepening relationships with cities across the country, we can support the cultural industry and confirm the UK’s standing as a world-leader in both culture and creativity.”
Martin Sutherland, Chief Executive of the Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: “We were delighted to welcome Sadiq Khan to the city during our year as UK City of Culture.
“The Turner Prize continues to shine a national and global spotlight on Coventry because of its unique place in the world of visual arts and the great interest in the prize each year.
“We were especially pleased to have had the opportunity to showcase the UK’s most youthful city to the Mayor and to continue to build links with him and his team.”
The exhibition is a highlight of the Coventry’s UK City of Culture 2021 celebrations.
Herbert Art Gallery and Museum champions Coventry’s culture, city and arts and is one of the UK’s leading regional museums. As part of its preparations for City of Culture 2021, the museum underwent a major redevelopment of its gallery spaces in anticipation of the Turner Prize exhibition. In parallel to the Turner Prize exhibition, Coventry is also hosting ‘Coventry Biennial 2021: Hyper-Possible’ from October 2021 across Coventry and Warwickshire
Established in 1984, the prize is named after the radical British painter JMW Turner (1775-1851). Originating at Tate Britain, the Turner Prize regularly travels to other venues in the UK. It has previously been shown in Liverpool in 2007, Gateshead in 2011, Derry in 2013, Glasgow in 2015, Hull in 2017, and Margate in 2019. In 2022 it will be held at Tate Liverpool.
The members of the Turner Prize 2021 jury are Aaron Cezar, Director, Delfina Foundation; Kim McAleese, Programme Director, Grand Union; Russell Tovey, Actor; and Zoé Whitley, Director, Chisenhale Gallery. The jury is chaired by Alex Farquharson, Director, Tate Britain.
The Turner Prize 2021 is supported by the AKO Foundation, Avanti West Coast and Arts Council England, with additional support from ArtAV, The John Browne Charitable Trust and Lance Uggla.
Turner Prize 2021
29 September 2021 – 12 January 2022
Herbert Art Gallery and Museum
Jordan Well
Coventry CV1 5QP
Admission free. To book tickets, visit: https://coventry2021.co.uk.
Exhibition Opening Hours:
Monday to Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 12noon – 4pm