The Aesthetica Art Prize 2026 brings together 20 visionary finalists, alongside a longlist of 175 artists. This year’s shortlistees, whose works are at York Art Gallery from 17 July - 15 November, address themes of environment, identity and culture across photography, film, installation, painting and digital media. They respond to the interconnected pressures shaping contemporary life: accelerating technologies reshaping perception and truth; the legacies of colonial histories and their impact on identity and belonging; and ecological systems under strain. The works journey through forests, oceans and mountain landscapes, whilst navigating technological glitches, inner worlds and city streets. Here, art is a force of disruption and recalibration, offering new ways of understanding the world. Curated by Cherie Federico and produced with York Museums Trust.
Images: Kazuaki Koseki; Claudia Behrensen; Jarrett Murphy,
Images: Liza Dracup; Alexis Pichot; Teti.
The Aesthetica Art Prize is a leading cultural platform in the UK, which continues to shape discourse and create visibility for artists engaging with contemporary realities. Over the past two decades, the Prize has developed into an international platform that supports artists at pivotal stages of their careers, offering visibility and progression into leading global institutions. Alumni include have gone on to exhibit at institutions including Tate Modern, Barbican Centre, Guggenheim Museum, MoMA PS1, V&A Museum, Saatchi Gallery, and Centre Pompidou. As part of its 20th anniversary programme, this is the fifth exhibition across the region, alongside presentations in Harrogate, Scarborough and Skipton. Set in York, a UNESCO City of Media Arts, the Prize connects local context with global exchange, positioning art as a site of reflection, resistance and change.
This year, the 20 shortlisted artists are: Alexis Pichot, Chrissy Lush, Claudia Behrensen, DIVA, Edgar Martins, Felipe Castelblanco, Filip Haglund, Hope Strickland, Jarrett Murphy, Jeonghan Yun, Katharine Dowson, Kazuaki Koseki, Liza Dracup, Magid Magid, Neil Armstrong, Neville Gabie, Sara Campaci, Teti, Tommy Goguely and Yasuaki Matsuura.
Images: Tommy Goguely; Chrissy Lush; Filip Haglund. Top: Chrissy Lush.