Helen Marten Wins 2016 Turner Prize Amid Political Controversy
At Tate Britain, Helen Marten was awarded the 2016 Turner Prize, with author Ben Okri presenting the £25,000 prize. The 31-year-old artist, who was recognized as one of ArtReview's Future Greats in 2011 and won the inaugural Hepworth Prize for sculpture in November, triumphed over nominees Michael Dean, Anthea Hamilton, and Josephine Pryde, each of whom received £5,000. Marten committed to sharing her Turner Prize earnings with the other nominees, similar to her choice to divide the £30,000 Hepworth Prize. In her acceptance speech, she criticized cuts to arts education and the rise of xenophobic ideologies. Conservative MP Michael Gove disparaged her work on social media, while jury chair Alex Farquharson praised her artistic approach.
Key facts
- Helen Marten won the 2016 Turner Prize
- The award ceremony was held at Tate Britain
- Marten received £25,000, with £5,000 each to other shortlisted artists
- Marten previously won the inaugural Hepworth Prize for sculpture in November 2016
- Marten pledged to share her Turner Prize winnings with fellow nominees
- Conservative MP Michael Gove criticized the award as '#modishcrap'
- Alex Farquharson praised Marten as 'a kind of poet' in her use of materials
- The jury included Beatrix Ruf, Simon Wallis, Tamsin Dillon, and Michelle Cotton
Entities
Artists
- Helen Marten
- Michael Dean
- Anthea Hamilton
- Josephine Pryde
- Ben Okri
- Turner
- Ruskin
- Holman Hunt
Institutions
- Tate Britain
- ArtReview
- Hepworth Wakefield
- Stedelijk Museum
- Bonner Kunstverein
- BBC
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- Germany