This autumn, Aesthetica presents two landmark exhibitions at York Art Gallery, cementing the UK’s position as a hub for global contemporary art. Both shows open on Friday 19 September 2025 and run until 25 January 2026, inviting audiences to experience the Aesthetica Art Prize, founded in 2007, alongside Future Tense: Art in the Age of Transformation, a major exhibition featuring large-scale immersive installations by internationally acclaimed artists Liz West and Squidsoup – both alumni of the Prize.
Since its inception, the Aesthetica Art Prize has become a springboard for some of the most dynamic and groundbreaking artists working today. Thousands of practitioners have been recognised through the Prize, which continues to set the stage for national and international conversations about contemporary art. It is a platform that consistently identifies and nurtures talent at a formative stage, supporting artists whose practices later gain global acclaim. This vision is rooted in Aesthetica’s long-standing contribution to the arts: the magazine, in circulation for over 20 years, is one of the UK’s most widely read and respected cultural publications, with a readership of 550,000 across more than 20 countries. Together, the magazine and the Prize have become vital touchstones for contemporary art and culture, championing innovation and amplifying diverse voices on a global stage.
Aesthetica is a leading organisation in the UK offering this level of visibility to such a wide spectrum of contemporary talent. It continues to create platforms that propel artists from emerging practice to international recognition. York, a designated UNESCO City of Media Arts, provides the stage, but it is Aesthetica that drives this conversation forward – showcasing artists whose works challenge conventions, transform spaces, and inspire audiences on a national and international scale.
Future Tense transforms York Art Gallery’s ground floor into immersive environments that expand our understanding of technology, light and sound. Squidsoup’s Submergence, first longlisted for the Aesthetica Art Prize in 2015 and now experienced across six continents, immerses audiences in an ocean of 8,000 responsive LEDs, blurring the line between digital and physical space. Liz West’s Our Spectral Vision, inspired by Newton’s prism experiments and commissioned by the Natural History Museum, surrounds visitors with a radiant spectrum of colour, offering an unforgettable sensory encounter.
The Aesthetica Art Prize 2025 showcases work by 25 shortlisted artists from across the globe. These include Àsìkò with his exploration of migration and cultural memory in New World Giants; Hussina Raja’s STATION, tracing South Asian and Caribbean heritage in London; and Joanne Coates’ audiovisual installation, The Object, Pen with Tattoo, The Portrait and The Vinyl, portraying working-class landscapes in rural England. Rayvenn D’Clark’s Untitled redefines representations of Black anatomy through large-scale sculptural form, while Vlad Hyrnko’s Foundation pushes the boundaries of still life in a digital era. Collaborative work Time Pops Like Chewing Gum by Adam Cain, Lois Macdonald and Princess Arinola Adegbite delves into technology, AI and disconnection. Bart Nelissen’s Datascapes interrogates pattern recognition in the digital age, while Ellie Davies’ Seascapes Triptych and Liz Miller Kovacs’ Supernatural reflect on ecological fragility and the changing relationship between land and body. Together, the shortlisted artists present a vibrant cross-section of contemporary practice, addressing urgent global themes with striking originality.
Over the past two decades, the Aesthetica Art Prize has built an alumni network that reads like a who’s who of contemporary art. Notable names include Larry Achiampong, whose multidisciplinary practice explores postcolonial identity; filmmaker Jenn Nkiru, now internationally acclaimed for her work on Black to Techno and Beyoncé’s Black is King; award-winning photographer Julia Fullerton-Batten; environmental installation artist Steve Messam; and French visual artist Noémie Goudal, known for her striking combinations of photography, film and installation. Alongside them, artists like Liz West and Squidsoup continue to push the boundaries of immersive experience. Collectively, Aesthetica alumni have exhibited at Tate Modern, The Photographers’ Gallery, MoMA PS1, Foam Amsterdam, the V&A, Guggenheim, Barbican, Saatchi Gallery and Centre Pompidou, firmly establishing the Prize as one of the most important talent platforms in the world.
Cherie Federico, Director of Aesthetica and Curator of Future Tense, says:
“The Aesthetica Art Prize has always been about supporting artists and giving them a platform to share their vision with the world. To see alumni like Liz West and Squidsoup return with works of such international calibre shows how important it is to nurture and celebrate talent. By curating both the Prize and Future Tense together, we offer audiences in the UK a truly rare opportunity to experience transformative contemporary art on a national and international scale.”
Livia Turnbull, Curator of Contemporary Art at York Art Gallery, adds:
“Hosting both the Aesthetica Art Prize and Future Tense at the same time is incredibly exciting. These exhibitions transform our galleries with installations and artworks that speak directly to today’s world. It’s a unique chance for visitors to encounter art that is ambitious, thought-provoking and deeply relevant.”
The Aesthetica Art Prize 2025 and Future Tense: Art in the Age of Transformation run from 19 September 2025 – 25 January 2026 at York Art Gallery. Both exhibitions are included in general admission, available to book in advance via the Gallery’s website.
The winners of the Aesthetica Art Prize are announced on 18 September.
