7 amazing reasons to visit Turner Contemporary in Margate

This seaside gallery presents cutting-edge art in a town with deep connections to creativity

Exterior 23, Turner Contemporary on Margate’s shoreline. Image: Hufton + Crow 

Where can you find it?

This stunning gallery is situated on the harbour arm in the seaside town of Margate in Kent. The David Chipperfield-designed building cuts a dashing figure on the shoreline and, from within the space itself, offers unprecedented views across the Channel.

Why should you visit?

Founded to celebrate JMW Turner's connection to Margate in 2001, the gallery opened in 2011. Since opening, Turner Contemporary has shown arresting contemporary art from across Britain and beyond, including solo shows by Grayson Perry, Ingrid Pollard and Larry Achiampong, and group exhibitions such as We Will Walk – Art and Resistance in the American South, which celebrated the work of the Souls Grown Deep Foundation. A visit represents a fantastic opportunity to combine a seaside trip with a dose of culture, whatever the season. 

Stephen Cripps, untitled, (Photo Copier), 1978 

Which exhibits are a must-see?

The two major autumn shows are Stephen Cripps: In Real Life and Lindsay Seers and Keith Sargent: Cold Light (both until 8 January 2023). While the former explores the work of an avant-garde performer and sculptor who used pyrotechnics, mechanical objects and soundscapes within his practice, the latter draws on the life of inventor Nikola Tesla and the invention of the electric light bulb. Seers and Sargent have distilled their research into a new video and virtual reality work. 

Lindsay Seers and Keith Sargent, Cold Light, a VR still, 2022  

What’s on this month?

Alongside the main exhibitions, visit the Platform Graduate Award 2022 exhibition, which features work by artists who are in their first year since graduation. On show until 4 December is work by Sara Jabot, a photographer focusing on portraiture and street fashion, challenging conventions of how Black people are represented. 

Any artistic connections?

As mentioned, the gallery takes its name from the famed painter JMW Turner, who spent a considerable amount of time in the town, capturing incredible views of the sea and skies. Another trailblazer closely associated with Margate is Tracey Emin, who changed the face of British art during the Young British Artists Movement. After years in London, she recently returned to her home town, and will soon open an art school and residency programme to encourage further artistic growth. 

Light streams into Turner Contemporary’s Sunley Gallery. Image: Benedict Johnson 

Make a day of it

After perusing the galleries, take a break at Turner Contemporary’s restaurant, Barletta, which offers delicious fare throughout the day and into the evening. Otherwise, take the cliffside path towards Walpole Bay, where other great eateries include Daisy (for drinks and snacks), Forts (for brilliant brunch and coffee) or, a little further along, the Walpole Bay Hotel, which offers traditional afternoon tea in the dining room and on the terrace. For other great galleries, pop into Carl Freedman Gallery (open Wednesday to Sunday) and Quench, a grassroots space run by artists Lindsey Mendick and Guy Oliver. Finally, a trip to Margate wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Shell Grotto, a mysterious cavern of tunnels decorated with all manner of adornments. Though its exact history is unknown, it was once used for candlelit seances. 

Installation view of Antony Gormley’s Another Time. Image: Stephen White 

Here’s a fun fact

While taking in the view at Turner Contemporary, you might be alarmed to see a mysterious man standing in the shallows. In fact, this is a sculpture by Antony Gormley, one of 100 solid cast-iron figures the artist has placed in different sites across the world. This iteration, installed in 2017, can be seen for around three hours before low tide, before being engulfed by the sea. 

Find out more

For more information, see turnercontemporary.org

Going local 

Do you live close by? Then why not join the local Arts Society? 

Local Societies include:

The Arts Society Thanet artssocietythanet.org.uk

The Arts Society Dover, Deal & Sandwich theartssocietydds.org.uk

The Arts Society Sandwich theartssociety.org/sandwich3

About the author

Holly Black is an arts and culture writer