Gentle/Radical Turner Prize

Gentle/Radical Shortlisted for Turner Prize 2021

Cardiff-based project Gentle/Radical has been shortlisted for the Turner Prize 2021.

Gentle/Radical, an artist-led project which creates real and virtual spaces for communities in Wales to engage with culture, has been shortlisted for the Turner Prize 2021. One of the world’s best-known prizes for the visual arts, the Turner Prize aims to promote public debate around new developments in contemporary British art. This is the first time a Turner Prize jury has selected a shortlist consisting entirely of artist collectives, with the full list also featuring Array Collective, Black Obsidian Sound System, Cooking Sections and Project Art Works. All the nominees work closely and continuously with communities across the breadth of the UK to inspire social change through art. The collaborative practices selected for this year’s shortlist also reflect the solidarity and community demonstrated in response to the pandemic.

“We are incredibly excited to work with the five collectives to present their work at the Herbert as part of UK City of Culture 2021,” said Francis Nielsen, Cultural & Creative Director of Culture Coventry. “We pride ourselves on our socially engaged programme, rooted in and relevant to our local communities – something echoed by the practice of each collective. This selection of artists and the timing of this Turner Prize presents us with the opportunity to do something truly exceptional.” 

Gentle/Radical is based in Cardiff and is run by artists, community workers, performers, faith practitioners, writers and others, advocating for art as a tool for social change. They were commended by the jury for their deep commitment to the hyper-local community of Riverside in which they are based. Recent Gentle/Radical activities include Doorstep Revolution, an ongoing project to share neighbourhood stories during lockdown, and the Gentle/Radical Film Club, a pop-up cinema space for diverse communities to engage in dialogues around the urgent issues of our time through independent film.

“One of the great joys of the Turner Prize is the way it captures and reflects the mood of the moment in contemporary British art,” said Alex Farquharson, Director of Tate Britain and Chair of the Turner Prize jury. “After a year of lockdowns when very few artists have been able to exhibit publicly, the jury has selected five outstanding collectives whose work has not only continued through the pandemic but become even more relevant as a result.”

An exhibition of the shortlisted collectives’ work will be held at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in Coventry from 29th September 2021 to 12th January 2022 as part of the UK City of Culture 2021 celebrations. The winner will be announced on 1st December 2021 at an award ceremony at Coventry Cathedral covered on the BBC, and will be awarded £25,000. Each of the other nominees will receive £10,000.

 

To find out more about Gentle/Radical, visit their website here.