Manchester named as opening city for British Art Show 9

Hayward Gallery Touring has announced the participating cities and the appointment of Irene Aristizábal and Hammad Nasar as the curators for the forthcoming edition of British Art Show, which will open in Manchester from October 2020  to  January 2021  at HOME, the Manchester Art Gallery and The Whitworth and then tour to Wolverhampton, Aberdeen and Plymouth.

The exhibition is the biggest touring exhibition of contemporary art in the UK and it is acknowledged as one of the most important recurrent exhibitions of contemporary art produced in this country. British Art Show 8 attracted over over 300,000 visitors in its tour to four cities from October 2015 to January 2017.

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 five years. British Art Show 9 will tour to venues including HOME, Manchester Art Gallery and The Whitworth; Wolverhampton Art Gallery; University of Wolverhampton School of Art; Aberdeen Art Gallery; The Box, Plymouth plus other venues in the city.

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 four 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 – Jan 2021 – Manchester (HOME, Manchester Art Gallery and The Whitworth)
February – May 2021 – Wolverhampton Art Gallery and University of Wolverhampton School of Art
June – September 2021 – Aberdeen Art Gallery
October 2021 – January 2022 – Plymouth (The Box, and other venues in Plymouth)

More information from the Hayward Gallery Touring team here.