New Contemporaries 2026
Timon Benson, Compression, 2023 / Shaun Doyle, Cop Socker, 2024 / Isobel Shore, Set, 2025
New Contemporaries began in 1949. Starting out as Young Contemporaries, it has spent over 75 years supporting artists at the start of their careers, through exhibitions, mentoring, residencies and public programming. With a strong track record and a reputation for spotting talent.
This year the exhibition is on at Middlesbrough’s very own MIMA after its first stop at the South London Gallery. Featuring 26 artists from across the UK, with work spanning painting, sculpture, installation, photography and moving image. It's fresh, bold and well worth a visit.
We were excited to host the opening night after party with an evening programmed by our good friends A Man Called Adam. We moved through Italo disco, no wave, northern soul, dub and more, and were spoilt with live performances from local artists: Skye, Seb Hewison & Haydn Landis, Glad Town Ghost, Kea-Eloise, Reese Wetherspoon, Sir Racha Sound System, and A Man Called Adam themselves. The night also included Teesside inspired cocktails: the Hot Shot Spritz, an ode to Boro's parmo in the form of a spicy margarita, and 01642 Stay True, a juicy love letter to the Transporter Bridge. #UTB
New Contemporaries features work from: Viviana Almas, Kat Anderson, Hadas Auerbach, Timon Benson, Lakshya Bhargava, William Braithwaite, River Yuhao Cao, Ali Cook, Shaun Doyle, Ally Fallon, Samantha Fellows, Alia Gargum, Oliver Getley, Makiko Harris, Manuel Alejandro Hernandez Rivera, Deborah Lerner, Gregor Petrikovič, Will Pham, Isobel Shore, Maya Silverberg, Aaron Alexander Smyth, Christopher Steenson, Varvara Uhlik, Eliza Wagener, Benjamin Waters and Yimin Xiang.
New Contemporaries is on view at MIMA until 16 August 2026. Don’t miss it!