The Turner Prize 2004

It’s May, and time for the British to rev up their annual debate on "What is Art?" also know as the Turner Prize. Finalists are Ben Langlands and Nikki Bell (a pair working as a team), Yinka Shonibare, Jeremy Deller, and Kutlug Ataman. Langland and Bell are noted for work that examines our relationship to architecture and interaction with the built environment. Worth a look is their Paddington Station Bridge.

What is most interesting about the 2004 group is that all of these artists are producing work with a deep connection to current social issues.

I also find it charming that almost article in the press includes the bookmakers odds on each finalists chances of winning. Can you imagine Americans betting on the outcome of an art museum award? The odds, btw, as reported in the Guardian, are currently Langlands and Bell 7/2, Deller 7/4, Ataman 3/1, and Shonibare 5/2. You can also join the fray, courtesy of the BBC.

---Tommer Peterson