Oxford-born contemporary sculptor Jess Darling has won the UK's most prestigious art award, the 2023 Turner Prize. The win was announced in a ceremony held at the Winter Palace in Eastbourne, located south of London, and was broadcast live on BBC.
Darling will also be taking home a cash prize worth £25,000, or $31,500 for his sculptures "No Medals, No Ribbons" and "Enclosures." The pieces were previously exhibited at the Modern Art Oxford and the Camden Art Centre.
Why the Turner Prize Jury Chose Jess Darling as 2023's Winner
The jury comprised five individuals notable in the UK art scene including chairperson Alex Farquharson, Tate Britain's director; Martin Clark, director at the Camden Art Centre; Melanie Keen, director at the Wellcome Collection; Helen Nisbet, artistic director at the Cromwell Place and for the festival Art Night; and Cédric Fauq, chief curator of CAPC Musée d'Art Contemporain de Bordeaux.
In the broadcast, the jury can be heard commending Darling's utilization of "materials and commonplace objects" such as mangled Union Jack flags, welded metal barriers, and striped hazard tapes "to convey a familiar yet delirious world invoking societal breakdown, his presentation unsettles perceived notions of labor, class, Britishness, and power."
Currently, Darling's sculptures are on view at the Towner Eastbourne Contemporary Art Museum. The town itself was the recipient of Darling's commentary expressed through his artfully disfigured piece, the context of which was recalled during his acceptance speech.
"Closed shops, a lot of poverty, and a lot of old white people waiting to retire; you can see the effects of devastating austerity and class divisions," Darling shared.
Beforehand, Darling also took the opportunity to publicize his political advocacies, criticizing the Margaret Thatcher-initiated governments for its removal of arts education from Britain's national curriculum, saying, "Don't buy in! [Art] is for everyone!" Darling then left the stage waving a Palestinian flag.
The Turner Prize was founded in 1984, recognizing an artist who was either born in Britain or is based primarily in the country. It gained international renown in the '90s when it awarded promising young British artists at the time, namely Damien Hirst, Chris Ofili, and Rachel Whiteread.
