Mori Art Museum Hosts A Retrospective of the Turner Prize

Saturday, 23 February 2008 21:24

Tokyo, Japan - “History in the Making: A Retrospective of the Turner Prize” is the first exhibition to bring together works by all of the past recipients of the Turner Prize, one of the most important prizes in contemporary art. Including works in a wide variety of media, from painting and installation to video, the exhibition also forms a significant retrospective of British contemporary art over the last two decades.  On exhibition 25 April - 13 July, 2008.
 
The Turner Prize is one of the most important prizes in the art world today. Organized by the Tate galleries and presented annually since 1984, it represents a major steppingstone for young British artists. The Prize is unique because it is not restricted to conventional media – such as painting, sculpture or photography – but may include new and diverse forms of expression. The awards ceremony is telecast live and is a highly anticipated national event in Britain. This exhibition – the first time that works by all past Prize-winners have been exhibited together– provides an opportunity to examine changes in the Prize over the years. It is at the same time a retrospective of British contemporary art, with work by the likes of Gilbert and George, Tony Cragg, Anish Kapoor, Damien Hirst and Wolfgang Tillmans.
 
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 2007, a total of 7.7 million people visited the four galleries.

Today, London is one of the world’s influential centers of contemporary art, and Tate Britain* - the host for the annual Turner Prize exhibition - is one of its major art venues. The Turner Prize is unique among art prizes because it includes new developments in a diverse range of media - including painting, sculpture and photography. The exhibition and prize-giving ceremony, broadcast live on television each December, has become a high profile event in Britain, and the winning artist receives major coverage in the national and international media. With London such an important hub of international artistic activity, the Turner Prize shortlist which is restricted to British artists and artists working in the U.K., still functions as a barometer of new directions in art world wide.
 
MORI ART MUSEUM - ROPPONGI HILLS MORI TOWER (53F),  6-10-1 ROPPONGI, MINATO-KU - TOKYO, JAPAN - Museum Website: www.mori.art.museum