York Art Gallery

26 May – 10 September 2017

A platform for innovation and originality, the Aesthetica Art Prize Exhibition invites audiences to engage with captivating projects from some of today’s leading artists, both established and emerging. From individual narratives to global concerns, the artworks comment on contemporary culture and explore themes such as globalisation, perceptions of space and alienation in the digital age.

As the boundaries between the public and the private begin to merge into blurred depictions of reality, contemporary art is the mechanism that enables us to respond to a renewed understanding of living. The 2017 presentation features the work of 16 shortlisted artists who hail from diverse locations including Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Japan, the USA and the UK.

Utilising a range of media, they work within the categories of Photographic & Digital Art; Painting, Drawing & Mixed Media; Three Dimensional Design & Sculpture. and Video, Installation & Performance.

Images of 84 longlisted pieces will be shown on monitors within the gallery – offering a unique chance for visitors to explore the breadth and diversity of work being produced across the world today.

The accompanying publication Future Now: 100 Contemporary Artists, which features artists’ statements, images of the works and essays from leading art figures, is on sale at the exhibition.

A series of Lunchtime Talks will take place at the gallery throughout the exhibition, offering a chance for visitors to enhance their experience of the Aesthetica Art Prize and hear directly from artists, curators and academics on current themes in the art world.