British Art Show 10 Opens in Coventry with 37 Artists

The British Art Show 10, the UK's largest recurring contemporary art exhibition, has opened in Coventry across three venues. Curated by Ekow Eshun, the quinquennial survey features 37 artists, all identified as British, with works made in the last five years. The exhibition is on view at Warwick Arts Centre's Mead Gallery and Coventry University, among other locations. The show's inaugural edition was held in Sheffield in 1979, featuring 112 artists including Frank Bowling, Lucian Freud, and David Hockney. This tenth edition explores British identity through a diverse range of media, including scaffolding and throbbing car bodies, and is noted for its breadth and eccentricity. The opening coincided with freshers' week in Coventry, where a student chamber choir performed outside the Mead Gallery. The exhibition continues the tradition of surveying contemporary British art and questioning what constitutes British art today.