The Liverpool Art Prize exhibition opens this Thursday in the Grand Hall of the historic Albert Dock – a stone’s throw from Tate Liverpool and one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Dock’s re-opening following a period of major redevelopment in the 1980s.
“The Albert Dock as a location for the prize is fantastic,” says Kevin Hunt, one of the prize’s four shortlisted artists. “It’s exciting to have your work exposed in a very public arena – amongst the chaos of the abundance of tourists that flock there.”
Previous editions of the prize, which is open to all professional artists based or born in the Liverpool City Region, have been held at Metal’s Edge Hill Station, a complex of restored railway buildings to the south east of the city centre. The change in venue will undoubtedly have an impact on the work presented – the exhibition is an opportunity for shortlisted artists to create new, site-responsive work – and the audience it attracts.
“It’s quite a bizarre space with some odd architectural features,” says Hunt, “a lift shaft, a staircase, lots of pillars, and wall-to-ceiling glass windows looking out over the dock. I’m currently beavering away in the studio making new sculptures and photographic images – several of these will relate to the fabric of the building.”
Robyn Woolston, winner of the 2012 Liverpool Art Prize and one of this year’s judges, is equally excited about the new venue and the ways in which the exhibiting artists might engage with the space.
“As a group the shortlisted practitioners embody performance, live art, sculpture and embroidery,” she says. “They engage with ‘space’ in some particularly diverse ways, questioning the boundaries of the body and human experience, architecture and sculptural intervention.
“I also hope [the change of venue] will ignite a greater level of interest in the diverse and ground-breaking work presented by Metal across all of its venues in the UK.”
Raising awareness
Both Hunt and Woolston recognise the important role the prize has played, since its inception in 2008 during Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture, in promoting national awareness of the city’s contemporary art scene.
“Regional prizes are few and far between,” says Woolston, “but having been an integral part of the process during 2012 I can wholeheartedly say it’s developed my practice. From encouraging me to be more ambitious in terms of both the scale and output of the works I create, to establishing new relationships across the UK.”
“The prize is beginning to become noticed on a more national level,” says Hunt, “which in turn raises the profile of not just us four nominees, but lots of other artists and artist-led activity in Liverpool. It’s a snowball effect and that is why it’s important that the Liverpool Art Prize is taken seriously. It’s for the good of all the artists living and working here.”
Shortlisted artists for this year’s prize are Kevin Hunt, Tabitha Moses, Julieann O’Malley and Laurence Payot. The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of events and exhibitions in and around the city centre for Liverpool Art Month.
Liverpool Art Prize 2013, 26 April – 8 June, PV Thursday 25 April 6-9pm, Albert Dock, Liverpool. liverpoolartprize.com
Robyn Woolston: Strangers in a Strange Land is at Walker Art Gallery until 23 June.
More on a-n.co.uk:
Profile: Liverpool Art Prize – by Lauren Healey.
Liverpool Art Prize 2012 shortlist announced – a-n Magazine, February 2012.
