MIMA, Centre Square, Middlesbrough (image by Rachel Deakin and courtesy of MIMA)
Four shortlists nominated for prize with exhibition at Teesside University’s art institute in September.
Tate Britain has announced the four artists shortlisted for the Turner Prize 2026: Simeon Barclay, Kira Freije, Marguerite Humeau and Tanoa Sasraku.
An exhibition of their work will be held at Teesside University’s MIMA, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, from 26 September 2026 to 29 March 2027. The winner will be announced on 10 December 2026 at an award ceremony at MIMA.
Simeon Barclay was nominated for his performance The Ruin, commissioned by the Roberts Institute of Art and presented at the Institute of Contemporary Arts London, The Hepworth Wakefield, West Yorkshire and New Art Exchange, Nottingham. The hour-long spoken word performance features live percussion by James Larter and horn by Isaac Shieh.
Kira Freije was nominated for her first major solo exhibition, Unspeak the Chorus at The Hepworth Wakefield, West Yorkshire. Freije uses metal, fabric and found materials to create sculptures. Her work features life-size figures constructed from bare metal armatures and stonecast faces.
Marguerite Humeau was nominated for her solo exhibition Torches presented at ARKEN Museum of Contemporary Art, Copenhagen and Helsinki Art Museum. Her sculptures combine references to natural species and other forms, presented with a looped cycle of light and sound.
Tanoa Sasraku was nominated for her solo exhibition Morale Patch at the Institute of Contemporary Arts London. The installation explores geopolitical ideas through sculptures, works on paper and film, focusing on political and military histories of oil.
The Turner Prize was established in 1984 and is named after painter JMW Turner. It is awarded each year to a British artist for an exhibition or presentation of their work. The winner receives £25,000 with £10,000 awarded to the other shortlisted artists.
Since 2011 the exhibition has been staged in Gateshead, Derry-Londonderry, Glasgow, Hull, Margate, Coventry, Liverpool, Eastbourne and Bradford. This is the first Turner Prize to be held in a university setting.
Alex Farquharson, Director of Tate Britain and Chair of the Turner Prize Jury, said: “This year’s selection presents a rich and diverse range of work, spanning installation and performance, and with a strong emphasis on sculptural practice. Each artist invites us into carefully constructed scenarios, both real and imagined, that offer distinct perspectives through which to explore the world around us, and to reflect on our place within it.”
Dr Laura Sillars, Director at MIMA and Dean of Culture and Creativity at Teesside University, added: As the first Turner Prize within a university setting, this moment creates a special context, where contemporary art can inspire discussion, dialogue and new ways of thinking.”
The jury members are Sarah Allen, Head of Programme, South London Gallery, Joe Hill, Director & Chief Executive, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Sook-Kyung Lee, Director, The Whitworth and Professor of Curatorial Practices at The University of Manchester and Alona Pardo, Director, Arts Council Collection, UK. The jury is chaired by Alex Farquharson.
