New art for the people.

Creative Tourist previews the opening of New Contemporaries, the UK’s leading emerging art showcase

Like the X-Factor with a pension, New Contemporaries is back for its sixtieth year, showcasing the best film, video, painting, photography and more from around the country. 47 graduate artists have been selected from over 1,000 hopefuls – and it’s their work that is launched in Manchester on Saturday (we’d also like to note, with some measure of pride, that New Contemporaries has opened at Cornerhouse for the past twenty years).

As you’d expect from a bunch of young ‘uns, the art on display here leans towards the experimental and/or controversial – and with the selection panel comprising Wolfgang Tillmans, Saskia Olde Wolbers, Ellen Gallagher and John Stezaker, we assume that they wouldn’t have it any other way. As you also might expect from fledgling artists, the quality of the work can vary wildly, but that’s just part of the New Contemporaries lottery. With a seriously impressive selection committee, and an undeniable pedigree (it has kick-started the careers of Damien Hirst and Gillian Wearing to name just two), New Contemporaries is always worth a punt – especially if you stick on your curatorial hat and try and work out which art upstarts will blossom into tomorrow’s creative superstars.

Keep your eyes peeled for our exclusive vodcast later this month – an ‘in conversation’ with New Contemporaries chair, Sacha Craddock and two of the selectors: Saskia Olde Wolbers and Wolfgang Tillmans.

Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2009, Cornerhouse. 12 Sep – 25 Oct. Galleries Open: Midday-8pm Tue-Sat; Midday-6pm Sun; Closed Mon.

Image: Andrew Curtis, courtesy the artist

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