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Hayward Gallery Touring today (Tuesday) announced British Art Show 9 will open in Manchester in 2020 before heading to City of Wolverhampton, Aberdeen and Plymouth.
The exhibition is acknowledged as one of the most important recurrent exhibitions of contemporary art produced in this country.
British Art Show 8 attracted over 300,000 visitors in its tour to 4 cities from October 2015 to January 2017.
Curators Irene Aristizábal and Hammad Nasar were selected by a panel of curators from the Hayward Gallery and the participating cities. They bring international experience to the role and have each worked on major exhibitions in the UK Europe, America and Asia.
British Art Show is widely recognised as a significant marker of recent developments in contemporary art, unrivalled in its scope and national reach.
The exhibition introduces a wide public to a new generation of British artists, or artists practising in Britain, providing a vital overview of the most exciting art produced in this country during the previous 5 years.
British Art Show 9 will tour venues including The Whitworth; HOME; Manchester Art Gallery; Wolverhampton Art Gallery; University of Wolverhampton School of Art; Aberdeen Art Gallery; The BOX, Plymouth and other venues in the city
It will exhibit at Wolverhampton Art Gallery and University of Wolverhampton School of Art between February and May 2021.
City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Economy, Councillor John Reynolds, said: "This is a fantastic honour for the City of Wolverhampton.
"To be chosen as one of just 4 cities to host this prestigious exhibition shows how highly regarded Wolverhampton Art Gallery and University of Wolverhampton School of Art are in the world of art.
"It is an excellent opportunity for City of Wolverhampton residents to see world class contemporary art on their doorstep - and will attract thousands of visitors to our city."
Sam Hope, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Wolverhampton, added: "We're delighted that our renowned School of Art has been chosen as one of the touring venues for this prestigious exhibition.
"British Art Show is widely recognised as a significant marker of recent developments in contemporary art, unrivalled in its scope and national reach.
"The opportunity for our art, design and media students, the Friends of the Wolverhampton School of Art and the wider public regionally, nationally and internationally to engage with this exhibition, both at the University of Wolverhampton School of Art and at Wolverhampton Art Gallery, is a real coup for art and culture in Wolverhampton, Black Country and the wider Midlands region.
"The British Art Show is an exciting event for Wolverhampton to host and, alongside the Coventry City of Culture 2021 and Birmingham's Commonwealth Games 2022, it signifies how the West Midlands is moving into a new era of growth for the cultural and creative sector industries bringing with it the creation of job opportunities for Faculty of Arts graduates."
Ralph Rugoff, Director, Hayward Gallery, said: "We are delighted that Irene Aristizábal and Hammad Nasar have accepted our invitation to curate British Art Show 9. We are very excited to be taking the latest edition of this landmark Hayward Gallery Touring show to 4 exciting cities across the UK. The appointed curators bring a wealth of international experience to the role and a deep understanding of British contemporary art. I am looking forward to seeing what these two highly knowledgeable curatorial colleagues deliver."
Irene Aristizábal and Hammad Nasar said: "We are delighted to have been selected to curate British Art Show 9 and appreciate the opportunity to build on its historical legacy at this extraordinary time of flux. What does 'British' mean after the Brexit vote? How are artists stretching the boundaries of art to respond to the times? We look forward to producing an exciting exhibition that is also an exchange between artists, venues and audiences."
Tour details (exact dates and touring venues to be confirmed):
- October 2020 to January 2021 - Manchester (The Whitworth, HOME and Manchester Art Gallery)
- February to May 2021 - Wolverhampton Art Gallery and University of Wolverhampton School of Art
- June to September 2021 - Aberdeen Art Gallery
- October 2021 to January 2022 - Plymouth (The BOX, Plymouth and other venues in the city)
- released: Tuesday 2 October, 2018