THE TURNER PRIZE 2014
TATE BRITAIN
STUCKISTS DO NOT
DEMONSTRATE

TURNER PRIZE APOLOGY We regret there will be no Stuckist demonstration against the Turner Prize at Tate Britain this year, due to the fact that the Prize has sunk to a predictable and pathetic level of elitist repetition that is not worth bothering about. The Stuckists sincerely apologise for disappointing the many visitors for whom the demonstration was the only worthwhile part of the whole dire proceedings. The Stuckists have valiantly demonstrated against the Prize since 2000, sometimes dressed as clowns or corpses, in order to restore dignity to the national museum of British art. The Stuckists are handing out a leaflet at the press launch on 29 September and the Prize day on 1 December 2014 to explain their absence. Stuckists Turner Prize non-demo 1 Dec 2014 in The Independent (1.12.14), Yorkshire Post (1.12.14). Ben Eastham blogs (3.12.14). Stuckists Turner Prize non-demo 29 Sep 2014 Stuckist placard pic: BBC News (29.9.14), The Guardian (29.9.14) Stuckists not demonstrating: The Week (30.9.14), The Herald (29.9.14), (See also The Herald (30.9.14), Channel 4 News (29.9.14), The Guardian (29.9.14), Daily Mail (29.9.14), Coxsoft (28.9.14) CultureWhisper The Stuckists have long been a thorn in Tate's side over their opposition to the Turner Prize in a bid to "restore dignity to the national museum of British art". But 2014 may be the end of an era. In a shock move, after 14 years of protests they have issued their "regrets" that there will be no demonstration this year. The group, which was set up to promote contemporary figurative painting in 1999, has put the protest on ice because the entrants are so "instantly forgettable" and adding the prize was "not worth bothering about". The co-founder Charles Thomson (above) told the Diary that this may be it: "I suspect we may not be demonstrating again."The group will be present on the night of the awards in December, handing out leaflets explaining why they are not protesting. Thomson said the group had performed an important function in questioning the prize, and added the dream was "the protest itself could one year be one of those on the shortlist". - Nick Clark, The Independent (4.10.14) The Turner prize has hit new lows this year. If this competition is to continue, the Tate must look again at how it is run and who the judges are. Even the Stuckists, a group set up 15 years ago to promote that old-fashioned art form, painting, have decided not to demonstrate, as they have done since 2000 outside Tate Britain, where the prize is awarded on December 1. They sent me a nice little postcard, stating that it has sunk to such a predictable and pathetic level of elitist repetition that it is not worth bothering about". - Richard Brooks, Biteback, The Sunday Times Culture (5.10.14) Stuckists not demonstrating in protest against the Turner Prize Evening Standard (3.9.14) Stuckist non demo in Musea Zine (28.9.14). Stuckists not demonstrating in Now-Events Facebook event here