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SITES OF CONFLICT AND COLLABORATION 177

Controversy as a forum for public theatre, a gesture that was all the more com-
bative because the musicians they shared the
debates about civil society: a case
stage with that night were militant vegetarians.
study
When the K Foundation offered the X
Art controversies and the rejection of art by Prize, worth £40 000 (twice the value of the
diverse publics inform us about more general Turner Prize) for the worst work of art done
social issues too (Balfe, 1993; Halle, 2002; by a British artists in 1993, observers first
Heinich, 1998b; Tota, 1997). For example, a thought the offer was a hoax (Anonymous,
conflict in the United Kingdom over the 1993b, 1993c). The musicians launched an
award of the prestigious Turner Prize pro- expensive publicity campaign that ridiculed
vided a forum for debates that focused not the selection processes of prize competitions
only on art world politics and aesthetics, but and poked fun at contemporary art
also on social issues such as housing short- (K Foundation, 1993b). One ad mimicked a
ages, racism and poverty while garnering grant application form but featured questions
much publicity for participants (Button, like ‘Numerous non-short listed artists
1999; Marontate, 1998). The Turner Prize, believe they deserve the K Foundation Award
with a purse of £20,000, is awarded annually prize money. Are they thus implying they
to a British artist under 50 years old for the deserve the £40 000 cash more than Amnesty
‘best artistic production’ in the year. Four International, Oxfam, Shelter ... or Battersea
finalists exhibit their work at the prestigious Dogs Home?’ (K Foundation, 1993c). Other
Tate Britain art gallery and become the topic ads had already indicated that the finalists for
of public debates. Demonstrators often stage the X Prize competition had already been
protests about the choices, voicing objections chosen, and were the same as the Turner
on the basis of aesthetics, politics or moral- prize finalists. One invited the public to vote,
ity, depending on the dominant discourse of presenting a ballot under the heading ‘Let the
the season. Since 1993, the Turner Prize People Choose’, with a message at the
has attracted much attention, thanks in part bottom of the ballot mocking political slo-
to another prize known as the ‘X Prize’ gans used in election campaigns: ‘Remember
offered by the K Foundation in that year that democracy is a gift, not a birthright’
(K Foundation, 1993a). (K Foundation, 1993b). The musicians paid
The K Foundation was formed by two for television commercials during the broad-
musicians, Jimmy Cauty and Bill Drummond, cast of the Turner Prize Awards, promising to
members of a music group known then as ‘transform art history forever’. Estimates of
‘KLF’ (Kopyright Liberation Front). These the total cost to the musicians of the prize,
musicians, who had made a fortune with advertisements and related activities went as
techno-rave music, had outraged the music high as £200,000 (Cooper, 1993; Lister,
industry on the occasion of a music awards 1993).
ceremony (the Brit Awards) that was tele- A young artist named Rachel Whiteread
vised live. They had been nominated for a won both prizes, for the best and the worst in
relatively calm chill music album. For their British art that year. She was judged on all of
performance at the Brit Awards gala, the her artistic production in 1993, but particular
musicians organized a raucous battle of the attention was paid to a life-sized outdoor
bands. Drummond pointed a machine gun at sculpture called ‘House’ that was made
the audience and fired a round of blanks, from poured concrete impressions of the
embarrassing music industry representatives interior of a Victorian home. The home was
who lost face by ducking while on camera. demolished and she reassembled the concrete
They further dismayed gala participants slabs on the site turning the impressions of
by putting a dead sheep in the foyer of the the inside of the building into outside walls.