Every year the Turner Prize is able to kick up a storm of comment and controversy about something, whether that is in regards to the art and artists that have been chosen or events surrounding the competition and the
Tate itself.
Before we have even gotten to the standard expected questions of 'is this really art?' or 'what qualifies this to be part of the Turner Prize?', this year we had a controversy over a potential boycott by angered photographers.
It was reported that the Tate, in an effort to discourage negative news around the event, had asked photographers to sign a form which prevented them from using photographs taken at the event alongside negative stories in the press. The form is also reported to have said that any pictures taken of the Turner Prize show could be used by the Tate for whatever they desire, free of charge.
Disgruntled photographers threatened to boycott the media view of the exhibition of shortlisted Turner Prize artists due to the request for this level of censorship.
It's said that any press is good press, but the Tate might not think so. The situation has transpired to produce the type of news that the Tate was hoping to avoid in order to give this years Prize a chance to shine on it's own without any peripheral controversy.
However, regardless of the circumstances, this incident has certainly got people reading about the Turner Prize, so it can't all be that bad.