Middlesbrough: The art world is celebrating the official announcement of the four nominees for the 2024 Turner Prize, British art’s most prestigious and often most controversial accolade. The shortlist this year takes us from the industrial heartlands of Northern England to the geopolitical battlegrounds of the global oil trade.
This year, the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (MIMA) at Teesside University will host the exhibition for the first time. Each of the four finalists will receive £10,000, and the overall winner will be awarded a £25,000 prize on December 10.
Nominees for defining the face of contemporary British art this year.
1. The Ruin, Simeon Barclay
Simeon Barclay is moving his powerful, hour-long spoken word performance off the gallery walls and onto the stage.
The Work: Rooted in his Huddersfield upbringing, Barclay weaves a tale of life in the industrial North, supported by live percussion and horns.
What the jury thought: They loved his take on “Britishness”, class and masculine identity.
Chance of a Win: Barclay is the “wild card”, the only artist on the list to perform. He’s a forceful contender for his take on intersectional identity, looking at how race and class collide in the North.
2. Kira Freije: Unspeak the Chorus
Kira Freije’s work is haunting, visceral, and deeply humane.
The Work: Freije constructs life-sized, androgynous figures from raw metal, fabric and stonecast faces that seem to have been pulled from a dream—or nightmare.
What the Jury Said: Judges liked the “emotional depth” and the way her “haunting” arrangement of figures changes the actual space of the gallery.
Odds of Winning: If judges are looking for classic sculptural mastery with a modern, expressive twist, Freije is the one to beat.
3. Bonfires by Marguerite Humeau
Humeau’s installation feels more like a set from a high-concept sci-fi film than an art gallery.
The Work: Her sculptures explore the Earth’s past and speculative futures through an immersive loop of light and sound.
What the jury said: They liked her “cinematic” approach, and her ability to approach huge ecological and existential themes without making it about humans.
Odds of Winning: Humeau’s “mythical” shapes provide a speculative view of the future of the planet we live on, which could win over a jury looking for grand, inventive scale.
4. Tanoa Sasraku: Morale Patch
Sasraku’s installation is arguably the most topical entry this year. It’s a clinical look at the world’s most sought-after resource.
The Work: Sasraku uses minimalist, object-like sculptures to explore the political and military history of oil.
The Jury’s Take: The jury was struck by the “irony and seriousness” of her clinical performance, with strong contemporary resonance.
Odds of Winning: Sasraku’s work resonates in a world where oil price and conflict dominate the economy. Her corporate, clean aesthetic might just win her the deal.
Why the Turner Prize Still Matters in 2024
The Turner Prize was established in 1984 to stimulate debate. Love it or hate it, the prize is an important pulse check on what British artists are thinking about.
“It’s a powerful mirror of the energy of current art,” said Alex Farquharson, chair of the jury. From Barclay’s examination of race and class identity to Sasraku’s geopolitical critique, the 2024 shortlist shows that art remains our best means of grappling with a complicated world.
Book Tickets for the Turner Prize Exhibition at MIMA
