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Despite all the hate that gets chucked its way by the red tops, the Turner Prize is a good bellwether for where contemporary art is at. And this year’s shortlist was the most political one ever. Which shouldn’t surprise any of us, really: we’re living in turbulent times and art reflects that. Luke Willis Thompson creates moving portraits of victims of black violence, Forensic Architecture expose global injustices, Naeem Mohaiemen looks at the history of political conflict in North Africa, and Charlotte Prodger – the winner – uses her iPhone to document the everyday experiences of queer life in the UK. It wasn’t just the Turner Prize, either. From Documenta in Kassel, Germany, to Doris Salcedo’s weeping dedication to migrants at White Cube, art was busy tackling big, difficult issues this year. None of it made for easy viewing, but the truth can sometimes be hard to handle.
Read our review of the Turner Prize 2018 and our full list of ways London changed in 2018