The Hepworth Prize for Sculpture was our largest and most ambitious exhibition yet
Phyllida Barlow, Steven Claydon, Helen Marten and David Medalla exhibited their work as part of the The Hepworth Prize for Sculpture, a new £30,000 biennial award. The award recognises a British or UK-based artist of any age, at any stage in their career, who has made a significant contribution to the development of contemporary sculpture.
Phyllida Barlow constructed a monumental sculpture that filled nearly the entirety of one of the gallery spaces. Visitors immersed themselves in the sensory work of Steven Claydon. Helen Marten (also nominated for 2017’s Turner Prize) showed her intricate sculptures. David Medalla’s installation gave visitors the opportunity to collaborate in the making of the work.
The exhibition gave you a true sense of the diversity of contemporary sculpture being produced in the UK today.
‘What a rich, varied and contrary exhibition this is. After a bit, I forgot it was a prize. …the show celebrates the fifth anniversary of the Hepworth Wakefield, one of our best regional museums.’ **** Adrian Searle, The Guardian
‘In an increasingly bleak landscape for Britain’s regional museums and galleries, Wakefield’s Hepworth Gallery is a beacon of hope.’ ****
Rachel Maclean, The Scotsman
‘A fitting legacy to Barbara Hepworth…’
Dr Sophie Bowness, granddaughter of Barbara Hepworth
The artists
The winner
The inaugural Hepworth prize for Sculpture was awarded to Helen Marten.
Simon Wallis, Director of The Hepworth Wakefield and chair of the judging panel said: ‘Helen Marten is one of the strongest and most singular voices working in British art today. Her refined craft and intellectual precision address our relationship to objects and materials in a digital age. We believe that Marten is a fitting winner of the inaugural Hepworth Prize for Sculpture, which celebrates the legacy of one of Britain’s finest sculptors.’
The winner of The Hepworth Prize for Sculpture was decided on Thursday 17 November by a pannel of judges including architect David Chipperfield, the BBC’s Alastair Sooke, Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, Director of Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea and GAM Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Torino, Sheikha Hoor al-Qasimi, President Sharjah Art Foundation and Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, President of the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo.
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