Iraq protest camp shortlisted for Turner Prize

By Nigel Reynolds, Arts Correspondent
Daily Telegraph
Last Updated: 2:05am BST 09/05/2007

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Politics not paint are set to dominate this year's Turner Prize after the announcement today of a four-strong shortlist of artists more exercised by issues such as the Iraq war, terrorism and religious strife than images of beauty.

Leading the way is Mark Wallinger, a veteran of the Sensation generation of British artists.

He has been shortlisted for his controversial £90,000 work, State Britain, in which he meticulously recreated Brian Haw’s long-running anti-Iraq war peace demonstration outside Parliament, in galleries at Tate Britain at the start of the year.

Wallinger, 48, who also created Ecce Homo, a striking Christ-like figure for Trafalgar Square’s vacant fourth plinth in 1999, is likely to be the public favourite for the controversial £25,000 prize which is traditionally dominated by conceptual artists.

Wallinger was also shortlisted twelve years ago when he named a working racehorse A Real Work of Art. The horse was something of an also-ran and Wallinger was beaten to the Turner Prize by Damien Hirst.

Note: The Turner Prize is an annual prize for a work of conceptual art and the winning exhibit often proves to be controversial. These have included Damien Hirst’s Shark in formaldehyde and Tracey Emin’s reconstruction of her untidy bedsit with her bed unmade and a used condom on the floor. When asked why her work constituted Art, she replied, “because I say it’s art”. Wallinger’s entry has a more serious intent than the usual rubbish.