The Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2021

New Contemporaries returns to South London Gallery in December for the fourth consecutive year with 75 emerging and early career artists from UK art schools and alternative peer-to-peer learning programmes. This longstanding and vital organisation gives visibility and recognition to the incredible breadth and depth of emerging talent whilst also providing access to other development opportunities that enable artists’ practices to become more sustainable.

The Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2021 exhibition is complemented by a specially created online platform, and an exciting range of public programmes. This includes peer mentoring with ArtQuest; Craft-tech—workshops, artist responses and a panel discussion around the intersection of craft and technology; NC Live—artists working with performance responding to and animating their exhibited works; and New Writing with New Contemporaries—a live public event of performances and readings by artists of their writing. These public events and learning opportunities form part of New Contemporaries Bridget Riley Artist Development Programme.

This year’s open submission process was headed by a panel of three internationally renowned artists comprising Hew Locke, Tai Shani and Michelle Williams Gamaker. In what has been a challenging time for all, especially those emerging from art education, their selection celebrates the tenacity of the artists who applied. 

Selected artists for Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2021 are: Susan Atwill, Mataio Austin Dean, Christopher Bond, Shannon Bono, Alice Bucknell, Richard Burton, Thomas Cameron, Maya Gurung-Russell Campbell, Anna Choutova, Bo Choy, Kedisha Coakley, Noemi Conan, Lauren Craig, Angelina May Davis, Femi Dawkins, Charles de Agustin, Darya Diamond, Pete G. Donaldson, Freya Douglas Ferguson, Karolina Dworska, Max Göran, Janina Frye, Enorê, Aoibheann Greenan, Benjamin Hall, Tom Harker, Christopher Hartmann, Serena Huang, INCURSIONS, Asuf Ishaq, Elsa James, Nisa Khan, Sarah Khan, David Leal, Jinjoon Lee, Hannah Lim, Laila Majid, Seren Metcalfe, Haeji Min, Karabo Monareng, Willy Nabi, Christof Nüssli, Sora Park, Rebecca Parkin, Krystle Patel, Hanne Peeraer, Lydia Pettit, Sandra Poulson, Leon Pozniakow, Anne Carney Raines, Katarina Ranković, Aaron Ratajczyk, Davinia-Ann Robinson, Bryan GIUSEPPI Rodriguez Cambana, Rebeca Romero, Benjamin Rostance, Temitayo Shonibare, James Sibley, Billy Smith-Morris, Sid Smith, Sean Synnuck, Agnieszka Szczotka, Jukan Tateisi, Liorah Tchiprout, Beth Waite, Jaime Welsh, Adrianna Whittingham, Tom Connell Wilson, Nana Wolke, Zhuanxu Xu, Rafał Zajko, Orsola Zane, Adam Zoltowski and Žaneta Zukalová.

Kirsty Ogg, New Contemporaries Director, says, “Covid-19 is the toughest challenge of a generation. In response, New Contemporaries is supporting a new generation of artists, giving 75 artists the opportunity to reach new audiences. As well as participating in the annual exhibition and the newly launched online platform, this year’s New Contemporaries will have access to digital residences and projects, studio bursaries, mentoring, talks and workshops all of which are intended to help them develop as artists. As we emerge from the immediate impact of the pandemic, this support is even more vital.”

Margot Heller, OBE, South London Gallery Director, says, “We are thrilled to be showing Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2021 at the South London Gallery for the fourth consecutive year. This year’s exhibition brings together a fascinating breadth of ideas and approaches. It is a wonderful celebration of emerging talent, giving a unique insight into artists’ concerns in these challenging times.”

New Contemporaries has held a vital role in the UK’s contemporary art scene, showcasing emerging artists who have become the most internationally renowned artists of recent history including post-war figures Frank Auerbach, Bruce Lacey and Paula Rego; pop artists Frank Bowling, Patrick Caulfield and David Hockney; new media pioneers Stuart Brisley, Helen Chadwick and Derek Jarman; YBAs Damien Hirst, Chris Ofili and Gillian Wearing; alongside contemporary figures such as Tacita Dean, Sunil Gupta, Mark Leckey and Mona Hatoum. In the new millennium exceptional artists including Monster Chetwynd, Rachel Maclean, Haroon Mirza, Laure Prouvost and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, and more recently a new generation including Hardeep Pandhal, Joanna Piotrowska, Shen Xin and Imran Perretta, have all been part of New Contemporaries.

The exhibition at the South London Gallery travels from Firstsite in Colchester where it launched in September 2021.