Alumni news

Turner Prize 2023 at Towner Eastbourne – now open!

By: Becky French

Last updated: Friday, 24 May 2024

A room filled with contrasting objects; warped metal barriers and structures stand elevated, a pile of orange, pink and black books, a warped ladder and structures with White, Red and Blue fabric resembling the Union Jack flag.

Jesse Darling - Turner Prize 2023 - Towner - Angus Mill Photographer

15 miniature toy objects all laid out in a row with the exact spacing between them. Order from left to right is; 3 larger houses, 3 washing machines, 3 yellow Dyson hovers, 2 red Henry Hoovers, 2 medium houses, 2 bungalows.

Ghislaine Leung - Turner Prize 2023 - Towner - Angus Mill Photographer

A large TV displaying 6 young adults on a running track, running towards the screen. It’s dark but the track is lit by floodlight. They are wearing black and bright tie died clothing.

Rory Pilgrim - Turner Prize 2023 - Towner - Angus Mill Photographer

A white wall covered with 5 large-scale wall drawings of 2 women and 3 men affected by the Windrush scandal. Faces convey a mix of strength and vulnerability, intricate charcoal strokes create a compelling and emotive portrayal of the subjects.

Barbara Walker - Turner Prize 2023 - Towner - Angus Mill Photographer

The doors have finally opened for the Turner Prize 2023 at Towner Eastbourne. As this year’s Education Partner for the world’s leading prize in contemporary art, we have been eagerly awaiting the chance to view the exhibition of work by four nominated artists; Jesse Darling, Ghislaine Leung, Rory Pilgrim and Barbara Walker. Read on to find out more about the shortlist and the exhibitions they have been nominated for.

Be part of this year’s Turner Prize – it’s free

You can visit Towner Eastbourne for free, Tuesdays to Sundays, 10.00am to 5.00pm, and celebrate the world's most prestigious prize for contemporary art as it travels down to the south coast for the first time. Eastbourne is overflowing with exciting events, public art and community activity so while you are there check out the Eastbourne Alive programme.

The winner will be announced on 5 December 2023 at an award ceremony in Eastbourne’s Winter Gardens.

University of Sussex is Education Partner for the Turner Prize 2023 at Towner Eastbourne

Two University of Sussex alumni have previously won the Turner Prize. Helen Cammock, a Sociology graduate, was one of the co-winners of the 2019 prize, and Jeremy Deller, who holds an MA in British Art History and Critical Theory, won the Turner Prize in 2004.

We are bringing the prize to life for you on campus. Join us for a series of ‘in conversation’ events at the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (ACCA), which will take place throughout the autumn term, and in May 2024 as part of the University of Sussex Festival of Ideas.

The first three events are available for booking (all University of Sussex staff, students and alumni are eligible for £3 concession priced tickets, all events will be live captioned and BSL interpreted):

Introduction to the Turner Prize, Tuesday 17 October, 6.30pm Book Tickets

Helen Cammock in conversation, Thursday 2 November, 6.30pm Book Tickets

Curating the Turner Prize, Wednesday 22 November, 6.30pm Book Tickets

The event series opens with a conversation between Ben Burbridge (Head of Art History) and Joe Hill (Director, Towner Eastbourne). Noelle Collins (Exhibition Curator of the Turner Prize 2023 at Towner Eastbourne) will be in conversation with other former curators of the Turner Prize exhibition. We will also welcome Turner Prize winning alumna, artist Helen Cammock, (a Sussex sociology graduate and one of the co-winners of the 2019 prize).

Take a look at this year’s shortlist and their nominated works

Jesse Darling has been nominated for his solo exhibitions 'No Medals, No Ribbons' at Modern Art Oxford and 'Enclosures' at Camden Art Centre. Darling’s sculptures and installations evoke the vulnerability of the human body and the precariousness of power structures, exposing the world’s underlying fragility through a refusal to make oneself appear legible and functioning to others.

Ghislaine Leung has been nominated for her solo exhibition 'Fountains' at Simian, Copenhagen. Leung’s work takes the form of ‘scores’ – sets of instructions that test the boundaries of the gallery space. Baby monitors, child safety gates, inflatable structures, toys, and water fountains are used to turn the exhibition structure on its head, asking questions about time, leisure, and labour.

Rory Pilgrim has been nominated for the commission RAFTS at Serpentine and Barking Town Hall, and a live performance of the work at Cadogan Hall, London. Pilgrim’s work was created in collaboration with local communities in the borough of Barking and Dagenham and interweaves stories, poems, music and film to reflect on times of change and struggle during the pandemic.

Barbara Walker has been nominated for her presentation entitled 'Burden of Proof' at Sharjah Biennial 15, Walker's practice interrogates past and present issues of racial identity, exclusion and power. Her presentation explores the impact of the Windrush scandal, underlaying figurative drawn portraits with facsimiles of the documentation these individuals had to produce to prove their right to remain.

Stay tuned for all things Turner Prize including a prize draw for chance to win exclusive Towner Membership.

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