A portrait of Simeon Barclay holding a transparent overhead projector acrylic that says 'plus so much more' backwards in marker pen in front of his face.

A portrait of Celia Hempton sat on a chair in her studio wearing a white t-shirt and beige trousers

Hayward Gallery Touring’s landmark exhibition, British Art Show 9, now open at Aberdeen Art Gallery. 

This display will mark the launch of the national tour for this ambitious exhibition of contemporary art, which takes place across the UK every five years. Widely acknowledged as the most important recurrent exhibition of contemporary art produced in this country, the show will then tour to several venues in the cities of Wolverhampton, Manchester and Plymouth.

BAS9 is curated by Irene Aristizábal and Hammad Nasar who have made their artist selection for each city after travelling to more than 23 locations across the UK and meeting with over 230 practising artists.

British Art Show 9 was developed at a precarious moment in Britain’s history, which has brought politics of identity and nation, concerns of social, racial and environmental justice, and questions of agency to the centre of public consciousness. The artists presented in the exhibition respond in critical ways to this complex context. Through their works, they imagine new futures, propose alternative economies, explore new modes of resistance and find ways of living together. They do so through film, photography, painting, sculpture, and performance, as well as through multimedia projects that don’t sit easily in any one category.

The exhibition is structured around three main themes:

These themes were agreed prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and the global recognition of racial injustice sparked by the Black Lives Matter protests of summer 2020. However, all three have become even more relevant in the present moment.

BAS9 has been conceived as a cumulative experience. The exhibition is designed to change and adapt to each of its four host cities, presenting different combinations of artists and artworks that respond to their distinctive local contexts. The exhibition includes a film programme in each of the four host cities and online, expanding the selection of works on view.

In Aberdeen, the exhibition focuses on the effort to develop alternative systems for ethical cohabitation in the world. The presentation centres on exploring different forms of knowledge – including spirituality – to heal the earth, to resist the injustices of extractivism, and to develop non-exploitative ways of living with the non-human.

Aberdeen, known as the Granite City, is undergoing major transformation within its offshore energy sector, as the city works towards realising its Net Zero vision. This iteration of BAS9 urges humanity to put care at the very heart of our relationship with nature, and all beings, moving away from the hierarchical interaction that puts humans first. The Aberdeen iteration of British Art Show 9 will display over 15 new artworks never-before seen in the UK, it will include 6 new commissions and 2 site-specific works.

installation views of Simeon Barclay's work at British Art Show 9 in Aberdeen Art Gallery

United Kingdom

Aberdeen

Aberdeen City Council

British Art Show 9 at Aberdeen Art Gallery showcases contemporary works addressing identity, justice, and cohabitation. Curated by Irene Aristizábal and Hammad Nasar.

British Art Show 9

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London

Newcastle