THE 12 shortlisted artists for the Aesthetica Art Prize will showcase the new generation of talent at York Art Gallery from May 18 to September 30.

In the running for the prize in its 11th year are David Birkin (USA); Electra Lyhne-Gold (United Kingdom); Fabio Lattanzi Antinori (UK); Jiayu Liu (UK); Jukhee Kwon (Italy); Kenji Ouellet (Germany); Laura Woodward (Australia); Lisa Chang Lee (UK); Noémi Varga (UK); Peter Davis (UK); Reginald Van de Velde (Belgium) and Shauna Frischkorn (USA).

Run by the York publication Aesthetica Magazine, the prize promotes pushing the boundaries of innovation and drawing on social and political structures to question the values placed on the world around us.

York Press:

Babel Library, by Jukhee Kwon

"Exploring the wider effects of over-consumption, media stimulation and emotional disconnection, the artworks presented in Future Greats, the 2018 edition of the Aesthetica Art Prize exhibition, call into question new modes of communication, offering reflection on the era of post-truth, where human autonomy can be reduced to calculable, predictable patterns of behaviour," says Aesthetica director Cherie Federico.

A key concept in this year’s shortlisted works is technology; Jiayu Liu’s Ocean Wave, for example, questions how far digital worlds are encroaching on organic landscapes. "Against a backdrop of environmental damage happening at an unprecedented rate, and global warming showing no signs of ending, Liu’s work invites audiences to reflect on our role as human beings and our emotional responses to the planet," says Cherie.

Responding to the same theme, Lisa Chang Lee’s installation Laughter Project exaggerates and copies audience reactions to convey the overwhelming desire to belong in today’s society.

York Press:

Cardboard Reality, by Peter Davis

Addressing the notion of human autonomy, Fabio Lattanzi Antinori’s interactive sculpture Fortune Tellers charts ten years of data from the Shanghai Stock Exchange. "The piece considers how global financial systems control much of our lives," says Cherie. "Similarly, Electra Lyhne-Gold’s Lost In Translation is a video performance that utilises humour to usurp capitalism, undermining advertisement culture through mimicry and imitation."

Running concurrently with the exhibition opening will be the Future Now Symposium at York St John University on May 17 and 18: a two-day event that provides an imaginative platform to "consider the arts ecosystem within a broader social, political and professional context".

"Holding talent development at its core, this symposium is a hive of innovation and idea generation," says Cherie. Topics for next month's event include the value of design; arts journalism in the digital age; how to get ahead as an emerging artist; an examination of post-truth; and risk taking in curation and diversity in the art world

York Press:

Ocean Wave, by Jiayu Liu

Delegates from Britain's leading arts organisations will be in attendance including Tate, V&A, Frieze, Baltic (Gateshead), Open Eye Gallery (Liverpool), Photofairs, the Royal College of Art, Serpentine (London) and publishers Thames & Hudson and The Times.

Symposium passes provide a free ticket into the private view for the Aesthetica Art Prize on May 17. "Every year, the Aesthetica Art Prize becomes more ambitious and the works submitted and selected are becoming more dynamic, evoking a range of emotions from despair to hopefulness for a future world where society is more harmonious," says Cherie.

"Similarly, the events taking place at the Future Now Symposium across the two days are vital to stimulate discussion and generate new ideas in response to the current trends taking place."

Looking ahead, entries are open for the 2019 Aesthetica Art Prize until August 31 at aestheticamagazine.com/art-prize