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History 2002 - 2005

In 2002 it was Fiona Banner's hand-written 'wordscape' describing a pornographic film that inevitably drew attention from the press. But this year also saw nomination forms being made widely available for the first time, appearing in a national newspaper (the Guardian) rather than specialist art magazines. It was also the first time that members of the public were invited to leave their comments on boards in the Reading Room. These made it clear that visitors were looking and deciding for themselves. They also showed that Keith Tyson was the public's favourite as well as the jury's.

Fiona Banner Turner Prize Installation 2002 © Courtesy the artist and Frith Street Gallery, London Photo: Tate Photography/Joanna Fernandes

But one comment, left by a government minister, Kim Howells, made front page headlines. He described the exhibits as 'cold, mechanical bullshit'. Tate refused to comment; others pointed out that, whether or not Kim Howells was right about this year, if the last twenty years of a prize which Howells dismissed as having produced nothing worthwhile, had thrown up artists of the stature of Antony Gormley, Rachel Whiteread, Anish Kapoor, Gilbert and George, and Howard Hodgkin, then it couldn't be all bad.

2003 marked the twentieth anniversary of the Turner Prize, a year when the public voted Anish Kapoor as their favourite shortlisted artist of all time. With Jake and Dinos Chapman, Anya Gallacio, Willie Doherty and Grayson Perry as nominees, this year’s Turner Prize shortlist was considered a mature and uncontentious group of artists.

The Chapman Brothers were considered the favourites to win and their sexually explicit sculpture of blow-up dolls shown alongside a series of altered Goya prints triggered some controversy. However, it was Grayson Perry and his disturbingly beautiful pottery that eventually won the Turner Prize. Pictures of him dressed up as his alter-ego Claire graced all of the major newspapers, with headlines like ‘Transvestite potter’s abuse vases help win Turner Prize.’

Langlands & Bell Zardad's Dog Video on DVD, colour, sound, 12 minutes © Langlands & Bell 2003

In 2004 the Turner Prize was dominated by serious political ideas reflecting the tense international climate since the war on Iraq. Kutlug Ataman's video-based installation portrayed an Arab community who had suffered loss, while Jeremy Deller exhibited documentation of his journey through Texas. Langlands and Bell's Zardad's Dog, a film of the first capital trial in Kabul since the fall of the Taliban, caught the media's attention when it was withdrawn from the exhibition because it might influence an ongoing trial of an Afghan warlord at the Old Bailey.

The show received mixed reviews from critics. Some celebrated the relevance of the exhibition while others argued that without any 'shock' value the Turner Prize had become boring. The fact that all of the shortlisted artists displayed film- even Yinka Shonibare who is best known for his sculpture - triggered a debate within the media and public about the boundaries between video art and documentary filmmaking. The chosen winner was the least controversial aspect of the show. When Jeremy Deller was announced, for once critics, the public and even the bookies all agreed that the right decision had been made.

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