ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Tate Britain's 'The 90s: Art and Fashion' Sparks Debate on YBA Legacy and Britart's Decline

exhibition · 2026-04-27

Tate Britain opens 'The 90s: Art and Fashion' on 8 October, running until 14 February 2027, curated by former Vogue editor Edward Enninful. The exhibition aims to critically reflect on the decade, but the catalogue, featuring an 'editor's letter' by Enninful, is criticized for lacking critical thinking and being overly nostalgic. It includes artists Sonia Boyce, Keith Piper, and Maud Sulter, who were part of a dynamic 1980s group whose visibility was arguably stunted by the mainstream focus on mostly white artists championed by collector Charles Saatchi. Saatchi's 1997 'Sensation' exhibition at the Royal Academy marked the peak of YBA visibility and the point it began to feel tired, as acknowledged by Tate Britain director Alex Farquharson. In the catalogue, Steve McQueen tells Afua Hirsch he wasn't part of the YBA scene, and highlights the shunning of Black people in the 90s and the overemphasis on Britpop over garage, jungle, and drum and bass. The author draws parallels between the YBAs and Britpop, noting both began interestingly but became bloated and self-parodic, exemplified by Marcus Harvey's 'Myra' (1995) and the Blur vs Oasis chart battle. The exhibition is ambitious but freighted with questions about whether it can please anyone.

Key facts

  • The 90s: Art and Fashion opens at Tate Britain on 8 October and runs until 14 February 2027.
  • The exhibition is curated by former Vogue editor Edward Enninful.
  • The catalogue includes an 'editor's letter' by Enninful stating the exhibition is conceived as critical reflection, not nostalgia.
  • Artists Sonia Boyce, Keith Piper, and Maud Sulter are included in the exhibition.
  • Charles Saatchi's 'Sensation' exhibition at the Royal Academy in 1997 marked the peak of YBA visibility and the point it began to feel tired.
  • Steve McQueen states in the catalogue that he wasn't part of the YBA scene and highlights the shunning of Black people in the 90s.
  • The author compares the YBAs to Britpop, noting both became bloated and self-parodic.
  • Marcus Harvey's painting 'Myra' (1995) is cited as an example of the YBAs' crass representation.

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • Tate Britain
  • Vogue
  • Royal Academy
  • New York University
  • Whitney Museum
  • Whitney Biennial
  • Groucho Club
  • Sadie Coles HQ
  • British Vogue
  • The Groucho Club
  • Haçienda
  • Bagley's
  • i-D
  • Dazed & Confused
  • Tate Modern
  • Design Museum
  • V&A
  • Dazed and Confused
  • The Face
  • Gap
  • Spotify
  • The Haçienda
  • Tate International Council
  • Tate Patrons
  • Tate Members
  • Tate Americas Foundation
  • The 90s Exhibition Supporters Circle
  • Tate Collective
  • EE72
  • American Vogue
  • W Magazine
  • Italian Vogue
  • SHOW Studio
  • Young British Artists (YBAs)

Locations

  • London
  • United Kingdom
  • New York
  • United States
  • Soho
  • Manchester
  • Ladbroke Grove
  • Bradford
  • Peckham
  • Britain

Sources

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