Jesse Darling recognized with Turner Prize 2023 for their powerful artwork incorporating torn flags and barbed wire

Jesse Darling has won this year's Turner Prize with an exhibition that reflects modern British life. The exhibition features twisted railway tracks, crowd control barriers, barbed wire, and tattered union flag bunting. According to Darling, the inspiration for the artwork came from the impact of austerity, Brexit, and the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the "hostile environment" immigration policy. The chair of the judges, Tate Britain director Alex Farquharson, described the work as "bold" and "engaging" with a sense of "delirious derangement." He also mentioned that the exhibition partly reflects the state of the nation. Darling's room in the Towner gallery in Eastbourne was widely regarded as the most exciting and inventive among the critics. The exhibition turns entrances into checkpoints with barbed wire, while the crowd control barriers are sculpted in a way that gives them a life of their own. The artist believes that British towns are experiencing the effects of austerity, Brexit, and COVID-19, and he explores these themes in his work. The other nominated artists were Ghislaine Leung, Rory Pilgrim, and Barbara Walker, all of whom also reflected on the current state of Britain. While Darling's work received praise from many critics, there were also some who felt it lacked visual impact. Asked about winning the Turner Prize, Darling jokingly mentioned using the prize money to retrain and commented on the visibility that comes with the prize.