York Art Gallery

18 May – 30 September 2018

Hosted by Aesthetica Magazine, the Aesthetica Art Prize is a celebration of excellence in art from across the world. It offers both emerging and established artists the opportunity to showcase their work to a wider audience, and further their engagement with the international art world. From personal to universal ideas, the selections hold a mirror to society, exploring wider themes prevalent in today’s globalised, digitalised world.

Having attracted thousands of entries, the 2018 presentation includes pieces from 12 shortlisted artists, new visionaries that hail from locations such as Australia, Belgium, Italy, the UK and USA.

As well as displaying inspiring examples of sculpture, painting, photography, installation and video, works from the wider 2018 longlist will be available to view across various monitors around the gallery; viewers are encouraged to experience the breadth of submissions and be inspired by a diverse collection of concepts and techniques.

This year’s exhibition examines the changing landscape of society. A wide range of topics delve into the human condition, posing questions about an increasing level of mass consumption, over-stimulation and emotional disconnection. These include new modes of communication and the depleting nature of analogue, a rise in technologies that are mimicking nature and the after-effects from the war on terror.

As part of a wider engagement with talent development and idea generation, Aesthetica’s accompanying publication Future Now: 100 Contemporary Artists – which features artists’ statements, images of the works and essays from leading art figures – is on sale as part of the exhibition.

Furthermore, a series of Lunchtime Talks are on offer throughout the exhibition’s run, developing ideas from the artworks and expanding upon wider conversations within the industry. Hear directly from leading artists, curators and academics.