Turner Prize nominee’s work goes on show at Bowes Museum

Artworks by Turner prize nominee, Nathan Coley, will be taking centre stage at museum in Barnard Castle, showcasing his distinctive artistic practice.

The Glasgow-based artist’s creations, ‘You Create What You Will’ has arrived at the museum and ‘Tate Modern on Fire’, will be installed on Wednesday, June 25.
You Create What You Will by Nathan Coley has been installed (Image: Bowes Museum)

Both pieces, which will be exhibited until March 1, 2026. They are known for their ‘compelling exploration of public spaces and the intersection of personal, social, religious, and political beliefs’.

Visitors will first encounter Coley’s ‘You Create What You Will’ outside on the museum grounds.

The piece, a five-and-a-half-metre-tall illuminated text on scaffolding, echoes the symbolic mission of The Bowes Museum founders to nurture and uplift artists.

Its text references George Bernard Shaw’s play, ‘In the Beginning: B.C.4004’, a satirical tale of Adam and Eve.”Nathan Coley’s work installed at Bowes Museum (Image: Bowes Museum)

Inside the museum, Coley’s ‘Tate Modern on Fire’ will be on display.

This architectural abstract model of the London museum projects 2D flames from the front, symbolising the vulnerability of cultural institutions and their tenuous connection with society and the environment.

Coley said: “I’m excited to have my work displayed at The Bowes Museum.

“The museum’s history and outdoor space make it an interesting place for my art to connect with visitors.(Image: Bowes Museum)

“My work is all about exploring the places we live and the stories they tell, so it will be intriguing to see how people engage with it here.”

George Harris, senior programme manager at The Bowes Museum, said: “We are delighted to present Nathan Coley’s thought-provoking art at The Bowes Museum.

“Coley’s work invites us to reflect on the relationship between language and visual image and how we construct wider meaning.

“His art has been on display across the world, and having these two artworks at the museum encourages the viewer to think about our founder’s intentions.”

Coley’s work is deeply rooted in the concept of the ‘readymade’, a term introduced by Marcel Duchamp in the early 20th century.

This concept revolves around artists choosing and modifying ordinary manufactured objects.

In Coley’s creations, the ‘readymade’ manifests in the form of Bernard Shaw’s play and the Tate Modern.

By ‘re-contextualising these recognisable elements, Coley’s artworks are left open to varied interpretations by each viewer’.