Daniel Turner, shortlisted artist of the Future Generation Art Prize 2019

Daniel Turner works primarily in sculpture involving the manipulation of materials, objects, and environments into tactile or atmospheric forms. These works are characterized by a specific response to site under a controlled set of processes. This approach has enabled Turner to base form on transposition, preserving a sensory link to geographical locations, cultural associations and human contact. For the current exhibition, Turner has produced three sculptures in response to the Vinnitsa Regional Psychoneurological Hospital recasting integral elements of the Ukrainian hospital into both solid and ephemeral forms. Founded in 1897, this hospital is an active medical and prophylactic institution specializing in polyclinic medical care for psychiatry, neurology, and neurosurgery. Through a calibrated processing of environment, the artist has identified, archived and recast one metric ton of the hospital’s steel bedding into two concentrated forms. A related process has yielded a third sculpture, whereby additional material has been distilled into a steel byproduct—burnished directly into the gallery wall. For Turner, form is a process of transformation. His choice of materials speaks to familiar, yet constrained environments, preserving the physical affects which a place gathers to itself. The work is presented at the exhibition of the 21 shortlisted artists for the 5th edition of the Future Generation Art Prize. The exhibition reveals a breadth of contemporary art practices from a judicious selection of artists and artist collectives spanning five continents. Established by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation in 2009, 2019 marks the 10th anniversary of the prize's founding. Featuring new and recent works, the exhibition explores two recurring themes through a variety of media. The first considers an 'archeology of the future', exploring the past and present through the eyes of tomorrow. Using cutting-edge technologies, the works question the possibilities of interpreting knowledge in today's world. Investigating ideas of the self, the second theme of the exhibition draws from individual socio-cultural values and traditions, whilst also exploring more poetic considerations of the psychological journey. Here, artists similarly reflect on a discrepancy between those traditions and shifting realities in a globalised world. More information: futuregenerationartprize.org