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British contemporary artist Helen Marten wins Turner Prize

Updated: 12 07 , 2016 14:59
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LONDON, Dec. 6 -- British contemporary artist Helen Marten on Monday night was named as the 2016 winner of the prestigious Turner Prize.

The Turner is one of Britain's top visual arts competitions for contemporary art for artists aged 50 or under. The art competition is aimed at promoting public debate around new developments in contemporary art.

Four finalists were in the frame for the top accolade and the prize of 25,000 pounds (31,851.22 U.S. dollars) for winning the 32nd Turner Prize. The winner was announced at Tate Britain in London where the entries are currently on show until Jan. 2, 2017.

For the 31-year-old artist from Cheshire in Northern England, it was second big win in the art world within a month. Winning the coveted Turner Prize positions her as one of Britain's most exciting young artists.

Marten, who is based in London, was praised for her entry of sculptural work, with the panel of judges saying it reflected the condition of the world.

Tate Britain director Alex Farquharson, who chaired the panel of judges, said Marten, who is based in London, made work which had real longevity, using objects, forms and images in a similar way to a poet using language.

He commented: "The judges were impressed by the complexity of the work, its amazing formal qualities, its disparate materials and techniques and also how it relates to the world, how it often suggests meaning, but those meanings are all in flux somehow. One image, one form becomes another."

Her winning sculptures were made out of a range of materials to form a complex tableau of ideas.

The judges added that Marten is "making an exceptional contribution to the continuing development of contemporary visual art".

Last month Marten won the inaugural Hepworth Prize for sculpture, saying she planned to share her prize money with the other finalists.

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