Turner Prize Awarded to Berlin-Based Artist Jesse Darling

Contemporary art, award

Jesse Darling, the Berlin-based artist recognized for sculptures embodying precarious forms, clinched the Turner Prize, the esteemed UK art accolade, securing a £25,000 reward, approximately $31,500. This marks the 40th occasion the Turner Prize has been conferred, with luminaries like Anish Kapoor, Wolfgang Tillmans, Rachel Whiteread, Lubaina Himid among its former laureates. Darling's creations often feature commonplace items arranged to evoke bodies with elongated limbs and contorted arms, deliberately crafted to potentially evolve or collapse over time.

Jesse Darling has gained recognition for their innovative approach to art, often employing non-traditional materials in their creations.

Medical paraphernalia and discarded materials frequently find a place in these sculptures, probing the dynamics of individual and collective support. Notably, some of these pieces were showcased at Modern Art Oxford in a solo exhibition in 2022, earning Darling the Turner Prize nomination. In expressing their artistic philosophy, Darling shared, “Vulnerability is inherent in everyone—it's what defines our vitality. While vulnerability isn't a strength per se, our physical fragility, susceptibility to love, conflict, structural violence, and our primal needs for nourishment and warmth are shared experiences.”

Tinie Tempah gracefully takes the spotlight as he presents the prestigious award.

The official announcement highlighted the jury's appreciation for Darling's use of materials like concrete, welded barriers, hazard tape, office files, and net curtains, creating a recognizable yet surreal realm. The presentation challenges conventional notions of labor, class, British identity, and power, invoking a sense of societal disarray. Other nominees this year included Ghislaine Leung, Rory Pilgrim, and Barbara Walker.

***

---