Sound ‘artist’ wins the prestigious Turner prize

The announcement that ‘artist’ Susan Philipsz had been awarded the prestigious Turner prize for her sound piece comprising her own frailly mellifluous voice reciting a Scottish lament (over Clyde’s black waters) marked a new chapter in her life as well in the award's history.

Philipsz is the first person ever in the history of this award to have actually created nothing that one can touch or see. Instead, she sculpted her amazing prizewinning work in sound, as mentioned above, from the sound of her own voice. Interestingly, she was the art-world favorite to get the £25,000 British art prize, often controversial. The official website notes:

“The Turner Prize celebrates new developments in contemporary art. Over the recent decades the Turner Prize has played a significant role in provoking debate about visual art and the growing public interest in contemporary British art in particular, and has become widely recognized as one of the most important and prestigious awards for the visual arts in Europe. There was no age limit at first, but in 1991 it was decided to restrict the Prize to artists under fifty, so that younger artists just setting out weren't pitted against artists at the height of their careers.”

Nominations for the prize are invited each year, and they are judged by an independent jury. The four shortlisted artists showcase their works in a show at Tate Britain before the final winner is announced. Though the winner is not judged on their Tate show, and the decision is on basis of the work that they are nominated for.

Philipsz's room in Turner prize exhibit at Tate Britain this year comprised no visible and physical work. For record, she triumphed over other shortlisted artists including Dexter Dalwood. His curious contemporary take on captivating traditional history painting made him an early bookies' favorite. Also in the race was Angela de la Cruz. The artist’s mangled, disheveled canvases put her somewhere between sculptor and painter. The Otolith Group’s work, often in film, contains both curating and creating.

Each of the above runners up will receive a £5,000 award. It was also the first time ever that a sound installation was shortlisted for Turner prize since it was first announced in 1984 to encourage modern British art - open only to artists from the UK younger than 50.