The director of a Middlesbrough art gallery has said Turner Prize-nominated works going on display at the venue is a “prestigious opportunity”.
Works including Simeon Barclay’s hour-long spoken word piece The Ruin, which explores Britishness, class, race and masculine identity, will go on display at Teesside University’s Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (MIMA) from September 26 until March 29 2027, following a preview on Thursday.
Director hails 'huge' moment for gallery
Dr Laura Sillars, director of MIMA and dean of culture and creativity at Teesside University, told the Press Association: “It’s just wonderful, it’s a huge, prestigious opportunity and it was an opportunity for this brilliant organisation that’s 20 years old next year to rise to the occasion.”
Also nominated for the prize is Kira Freije, who is nominated for her first major solo exhibition, Unspeak The Chorus, at The Hepworth Wakefield in West Yorkshire, which features sculptures that explore universal human emotions.
Shortlisted artists and their works
Sculptor Marguerite Humeau is also nominated for her solo exhibition Torches, which examines the formation of life, ancient human history and imagined future worlds.
The fourth shortlisted artist is Tanoa Sasraku, nominated for her solo exhibition Morale Patch at The Institute of Contemporary Arts, London, which focuses on recent political and military histories of oil.
Artists 'invite us to look again'
Dr Sillars added: “Artists have a unique capacity to invite us to look again at the world around us and to ask, ‘what if? What if things were understood differently or imagined anew?’.
“Bringing Turner Prize 2026 to MIMA creates a meeting between four exceptional artistic practices and the histories, experiences and imaginations of Middlesbrough, Teesside and the north east.
“As part of Teesside University, MIMA lives at the meeting point of art, learning and public life.
“We are deeply grateful to the artists and to everyone whose care, generosity and hard work have brought us to this moment.”
Established in 1984 and named after JMW Turner, The Turner Prize is one of the most prestigious awards for the visual arts, aiming to promote public debate around new developments in contemporary British art.
It is awarded each year to a British artist for an outstanding exhibition or other presentation of their work.
The Turner Prize winner will be awarded £25,000, with £10,000 given to the other shortlisted artists.
