Turner Contemporary is an art gallery in Margate, Kent, England, intended as a contemporary arts space and catalyst for the regeneration of the town. The title commemorates the association of the town with noted landscape painter J. M. W. Turner, who went to school there, and visited throughout his life.
History
The building was designed by David Chipperfield, whose design for the 3-storey, high gallery opened on 16 April 2011, 14,000 people visited in the first weekend and 500,000 in its first year. In August 2013 the gallery received its millionth visitor and in May 2026 celebrated 5 million visitors.
On 20 February 2020, Turner Contemporary became the first contemporary building to feature on a Bank of England note as part of a design celebrating the painter J. M. W. Turner.
Turner Contemporary is the largest dedicated visual arts venue in Kent as well as one of the largest arts institutions in the UK outside of a major city. It is a registered charity under English law.
Recognition
In November 2011, the venue received an award from the British Guild of Travel Writers, for an outstanding tourism project. Queen Elizabeth II visited Turner Contemporary on 11 November 2011, as part of a wider trip to Margate.
Exhibitions
The gallery typically hosts a primary exhibition as well as a small exhibition or single artwork in the downstairs Sunley Gallery.
{| class="wikitable"
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!Dates
!Name
!Featuring
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| 23 May 2026 - 13 September 2026
|Please Awake - Asked Nature Kindly
|The first European exhibition by Dominican artist Hulda Guzmán
|-
|-
| 22 November 2025 - 4 May 2026
|Briget Riley: Learning To See
|A collection of new and old works by British artist Bridget Riley exploring illusion and vision
|-
|14 June 2025 - 26 October 2025
|The Sunken Boat: A Glimpse Into Past Histories
|An installation by Canadian-Egyptian artist Anna Boghiguian exploring themes of maritime trade, labour and economics
|-
|22 February 2025 – 1 June 2025
|Resistance
|An exhibition of photography about protest curated by Artist and Film Maker Steve McQueen
|-
|28 September 2024 – 26 January 2025
|Anya Gallaccio: preserve
|Turner Contemporary presents 'preserve', the largest survey exhibition to date of British artist Anya Gallaccio.
|-
|25 May 2024 – 1 September 2024
|Ed Clark
|The first institutional exhibition in Europe dedicated to pioneering artist Ed Clark (1926–2019)
|-
|3 February 2024 – 6 May 2024
|Beyond Form: Lines of Abstraction, 1950-1970
|This exhibition features art from 50 female artists working within abstract art. Artists included in the exhibition are Bridget Riley, Louise Bourgeois and Agnes Martin.
|-
|7 October 2023 - 14 January 2024
|In the Offing
|A group exhibition edited by Mark Leckey around themes of the seaside, nostaligia and esoteric views of the future. Featured a number of video and sound installations as well as traditional painting.
|-
|27 May 2023 - 10 September 2023
|Beatriz Milhazes: Maresias
|A solo exhibition by Beatriz Milhazes, a leading figure from the Brazilian abstract art movement Geração Oitenta (1980s Generation)
|}
Image Gallery
<gallery>
File:Turner Contemporary roofscape.jpg|Close up of the roof
File:Turner Contemporary front.jpg|Turner Contemporary
File:Turner Contemporary-seafront.jpg|Turner Contemporary
File:Turner contemporary April 2010 from north.jpg|Construction April 2010 from the north
File:Turner contemporary April 2010 from south.jpg|Construction April 2010 from the harbour
File:Turner Contemporary construction.JPG|Under construction in 2009
</gallery>