Video of art’s unglamorous fate secures Turner Prize for French artist

French artist Laure Prouvost has won this year’s Turner Prize for her video installation set in a mocked-up tea party.

The video installation — called ‘Wantee’ — was lauded by judges as outstanding and moving.

The award, which earns the winner £25,000 (€30,000), was given by actress Saoirse Ronan.

The world-famous exhibition was held in Derry, the first UK City of Culture, and is the first time it has been staged outside of England.

Prouvost said: “Thank you for adopting me, for having a French one. I feel adopted by the UK.”

‘Wantee’ shows art work created by a central character of the film, Prouvost’s fictional grandfather, being used for domestic duties by his wife.

It symbolises how an artist who dreams of his work being displayed in books and galleries loses control of it and ultimately it has an unglamorous fate in the household.

The video is a response to the artist Kurt Schwitters and opens with the question: “Would you like some tea?” The title is ‘Wantee’ because Schwitters’ girlfriend was nicknamed ‘Wantee’ as she repeatedly asks “want tea”.

Three other artists — Tino Sehgal, David Shrigley, and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye — were also in contention for the award.

Established in 1984, the Turner Prize is awarded to a contemporary artist under 50, living, working, or born in Britain, who is judged to have put on the best exhibition over the last 12 months.

Lois Rowe, programme director of fine art, Wimbledon College of Arts, University of the Arts London, said there was “a real generosity and openness” in the narratives Prouvost creates and her use of language and approach to situating objects was “incredibly imaginative”.