In collaboration with the Shanghai International Culture Association and the Minsheng Art Museum, the British Council recently presented an exciting new exhibition in Shanghai, drawn from the British Council Collection. The Future Demands Your Participation: Contemporary Art from the British Council Collection included 89 artworks by 40 artists and highlighted some of the best examples of contemporary British art from the past thirty years.

A significant number of the artists included in the exhibition have been nominated for the prestigious Turner Prize (established in 1984 to celebrate the best new contemporary art in the UK). Among the 40 artists participating in this exhibition, there are 12 Turner Prize winners and 21 Turner Prize nominees, including Mona Hatoum, Damien Hirst, Anish Kapoor and Steve McQueen.

The British Council Collection is widely regarded as one of the most comprehensive holdings of modern and contemporary British art in the world, containing some 8500 art works by over 1650 British artists.

Andrea Rose, Director of Visual Arts, British Council, said,

'These art works are as valuable as Rolls-Royce cars, and like multi-purpose off-road vehicles, they carry the achievements of British art to different places in the world. Visual art has been flourishing in Britain after the Second World War and there has been a passionate need of seeing these art works around the world. Thanks to the British Council Collection, we are able to present the British innovative ideas and achievements to the world in the fastest and best way.'

'Each year, the British Council puts together touring exhibitions of British art which travel to countries all over the world. Recent exhibitions have taken place in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Greece, Italy, Kenya, Japan, Malaysia, Poland and Saudi Arabia. This exhibition is the first in a series of exhibitions planned for China over the next few years, drawn from the British Council Collection.'

The exhibition is now closed.

Minsheng Art Museum
Bldg.F No.570 Huaihai(W) Rd
Shanghai, China