In 1996 Hans-Ulrich Obrist dubbed Glasgow’s booming art scene “the Glasgow miracle”. 18 years and five Turner Prize winning artists later, Griselda Murray Brown examines how the city is nurturing new talent.
Where sport leads, culture follows. To tie in with Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games in July, visual arts centres all over Scotland will be showing work by Scottish or Scottish-trained artists made in the past 25 years under the umbrella Generation. The exhibitions run from April to November and take place everywhere from the National Gallery in Edinburgh to Orkney’s Pier Arts Centre. But what does the project say about contemporary art in Scotland?
When the Glasgow-based artist Douglas Gordon won the Turner Prize in 1996, the curator Hans-Ulrich Obrist dubbed the former shipbuilding city’s booming art scene “the Glasgow Miracle”. The term annoyed artists working there – most careers are built on hard work, not miracles – but Obrist’s remark proved prophetic. In 2005, the Glasgow-trained artist Simon Starling also won the Turner Prize, and from 2009 to 2011 the city produced three more consecutive winners in Richard Wright, Susan Philipsz and Martin Boyce. Since 2007, Glasgow-based Turner nominees have included Christine Borland, Karla Black, Jim Lambie, Cathy Wilkes, Lucy Skaer, Nathan Coley, Luke Fowler and, most recently, David Shrigley. Glasgow School of Art (GSA) now puts on “Glasgow Miracle walking tours”, suggesting the city is making the most of its unwanted name tag. Keep reading on FT.com
Where sport leads, culture follows. To tie in with Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games in July, visual arts centres all over Scotland will be showing work by Scottish or Scottish-trained artists made in the past 25 years under the umbrella Generation. The exhibitions run from April to November and take place everywhere from the National Gallery in Edinburgh to Orkney’s Pier Arts Centre. But what does the project say about contemporary art in Scotland?
When the Glasgow-based artist Douglas Gordon won the Turner Prize in 1996, the curator Hans-Ulrich Obrist dubbed the former shipbuilding city’s booming art scene “the Glasgow Miracle”. The term annoyed artists working there – most careers are built on hard work, not miracles – but Obrist’s remark proved prophetic. In 2005, the Glasgow-trained artist Simon Starling also won the Turner Prize, and from 2009 to 2011 the city produced three more consecutive winners in Richard Wright, Susan Philipsz and Martin Boyce. Since 2007, Glasgow-based Turner nominees have included Christine Borland, Karla Black, Jim Lambie, Cathy Wilkes, Lucy Skaer, Nathan Coley, Luke Fowler and, most recently, David Shrigley. Glasgow School of Art (GSA) now puts on “Glasgow Miracle walking tours”, suggesting the city is making the most of its unwanted name tag. Keep reading on FT.com