Array Collective Wins 2021 Turner Prize in All-Collectives Edition

Array Collective, a Belfast-based group focused on social justice and Northern Irish politics through collaborative actions, received the 2021 Turner Prize at Coventry Cathedral. The GBP£25,000 award was selected from a shortlist exclusively featuring artist collectives, with each nominee receiving GBP£10,000. Their work and that of the other four shortlisted groups remains on display at Coventry's Herbert Art Gallery and Museum until 12 January. This year's nominees included Cooking Sections, exploring intersections of art, architecture, ecology and geopolitics; Gentle/Radical, connecting community, politics, spirituality and social justice; Project Art Works, a neurodiverse collective of artists and activists; and Black Obsidian Sound System, a London-based QTIBPOC collective blending disco, art and radical activism. Black Obsidian Sound System publicly criticized Tate for extractive practices in prize culture following their nomination announcement. The 2021 edition continues a recent trend away from individual winners, following 2019's shared award among four artists who rejected competitive formats and 2020's cancellation due to COVID-19 disruptions, when Tate distributed GBP£100,000 in grants instead. The jury comprised Aaron Cezar (Delfina Foundation director), Kim McAleese (Grand Union programme director), actor-collector Russell Tovey, and Zoe Whitley (Chisenhale Gallery director), chaired by Tate Britain director Alex Farquharson.