Aesthetica Art Prize Exhibition 2015
26 March 鈥 31 May 2015, York St Mary’s
Showcasing cutting-edge practice from today’s ground-breaking contemporary artists, the Aesthetica Art Prize exhibition 2015 invited viewers to discover global concepts through pioneering art and design, and encouraged an awareness of the innovative work being produced across a variety of media today.
From contentions of physical and digital space to the political struggles of localised regimes and globalised laws, key contemporary themes were聽discussed by 2015’s dynamic practitioners. Connecting with visitors聽on many levels, be it visually or conceptually, the innovators selected for this year’s award hailed from locations including Australia, Germany, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the UK, and the USA.
Celebrating individual mediums whilst recognising the richness of interdisciplinary practice, the 2015 selection was聽distributed across the categories of Photographic and Digital Art; Painting and Drawing; Three Dimensional Design and Sculpture, and Video, Installation and Performance.
Longlisted and shortlisted artists have gone on to achieve success around the globe, including , creator of the first underwater sculpture park in Grenada and recently the artist behind an environmental installation on the banks of the River Thames. Chilean-born photographer has since been selected for In Search of the Miraculous at and French photographer has had solo shows at in Amsterdam and in London.
The 2015 Aesthetica Art Prize聽Winners
John Keane
Painting & Drawing (Main Prize Winner)
Suzanne Mooney
Photographic & Digital Art (Student Prize Winner)
Special Events: Lunchtime Talks
In Conversation with British War Artist John Keane
Thursday 9 April
John Keane, who in 1991 was appointed as the official British war artist during the Gulf War, discusses his paintings from the Fear series, which was shortlisted for the Aesthetica Art Prize Exhibition.
How We Talk About Contemporary Art
Thursday 16 April
鈥淲hat we talk about, when we talk about art.鈥 Dr Sam Lackey, Curator at The Hepworth Wakefield, will lead a tour around the Aesthetica Art Prize exhibition, to inspire a discussion on ways of talking and thinking about contemporary art.
Performance Art: Investigating Relationships
Thursday 30 April
Matthew Hawthorn, Head of Art & Design at York St John University, investigates the relationship between the artist, audience and environment in performance art through works created for public and private audiences.
Curation Explained: Q&A with Hiscox Collection
Thursday 14 May
Whitney Hintz, Independent Advisor and Curator of the Hiscox Collection, introduces herself and explains the process of curating a collection in a Q&A with Jenny Alexander, Senior Curator of Art at York Art Gallery.
Exploring Relationships: Art & Moving Image
Thursday 21 May
Dr James Boaden, Lecturer in History of Art at the University of York, talks about the language of film, exploring the relationship between art and moving image, experimental film culture and visual communications.
Creative Practise & Processes with Marcus Lyon
Thursday 28 May
Marcus Lyon, shortlisted artist in this year鈥檚 Aesthetica Art Prize, has works and publications held in both private and international collections. He will discuss his practice, process and wider involvement in the art world.