Arts News

Brit Mark Wallinger wins Turner Prize for Iraq war protest

Dec 4, 2007, 10:14 GMT

London - British artist Mark Wallinger on Monday won this year's Turner Prize for a work of protest against the war in Iraq.

A file picture dated 25 September 2007 shows British artist Mark Wallinger in front of the Orient Express at Victoria Sation in London, Britain. Wallinger on 03 December 2007 won the Turner Prize, a contemporary art award, for a film of him parading round a Berlin gallery at night dressed as a bear. The Prize is usually held at Tate Britain in London, but this year's exhibition is being shown at Tate Liverpool, 04 December 2007. EPA/ANDY RAIN'I am a bit flabbergasted,' Wallinger said of the modern art award and 25,000-pound (52,000-dollar) cheque for his work called State Britain. 'I didn't think this would ever happen.' The jury said Wallinger's work - a reconstruction of the protest of a British peace campaigner on London's Parliament Square - was of 'historic importance.' Wallinger had used more than 600 posters, placards and objects from Brian Haw's original protest to recreate the event in London's Museum Tate Britain. The 48-year-old artist from Chigwell in southern England received the award in Liverpool, the first time the Turner Prize was presented outside London. Liverpool will be the European Capital of Culture in 2008. It was one of Wallinger's last chances to win the award, which only goes to artists under 50 years of age. Named after British artist William Turner (1775-1881), the prize has been awarded annually since 1984. © 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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Brit Mark Wallinger wins Turner Prize for Iraq war protest

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