LONDON – An 11-person collective from Belfast that aims to overcome Northern Ireland’s political and religious divisions won the UK’s prestigious Turner Prize for the Arts on Wednesday.
The Array Collective has won the £25,000 ($33,000) prize for “The Druithaib’s Ball”, a reinterpretation of a traditional Irish evening coat, or speakeasy, related to 100 years of the calendar. history of Northern Ireland. Prize organizers say the collective’s work tackles “urgent social and political issues affecting Northern Ireland with humour, seriousness and beauty.”
Collective member Laura O’Connor said the team would put the prize money into finding a permanent facility in Belfast, where redevelopment is making the space less affordable for artists.
Named for 19th century landscape painter JMW Turner, the award was established in 1984 and helped make the stars of potter Grayson Perry, shark dipping artist Damien Hirst and filmmaker Steve McQueen.
But it has also been criticized for rewarding work that is conceptually impenetrable and often causes debate about the merits of modern art. In 2019, all four finalists were declared winners after they refused to compete against each other. Last year’s award was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
This year, all 5 finalists are collectives, not individual artists.
