Simeon Barclay: Turner Prize 2026 at MIMA

Workplace is pleased to announce Simeon Barclay’s participation in the Turner Prize 2026 exhibition at MIMA, alongside fellow shortlisted artists Kira Freije, Marguerite Humeau and Tanoa Sasraku.

Barclay is nominated for The Ruin, his first live performance, commissioned by the Roberts Institute of Art and presented at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London, The Hepworth Wakefield and New Art Exchange, Nottingham. Combining spoken word with live percussion by James Larter and horn by Isaac Shieh, the work draws on his upbringing in Huddersfield and his experience of the industrial landscape of northern England to explore Britishness, class, race and masculinity.

For his presentation at MIMA, Barclay gives physical form to the energy of the live performance through an installation of scaffolding, moving image and sound, resonating with his own voice. The work takes audiences back to the construction of the M62 through the Pennines, a major infrastructure project of postwar Britain. It reflects on the ambitions of the planners and the freedom the motorway offered residents of Huddersfield and the surrounding area, where the artist spent his youth.

The temporary scaffolding suggests that shared history is itself a work in progress, suspended between construction and completion. The narrative also enters more intimate settings, including the artist’s childhood living room, where his father’s presence dominates.

The winner of the Turner Prize 2026 will be announced on 10 December. Admission to the exhibition is free.

https://mima.art/turner-prize-2026/