Nottingham Contemporary is a free contemporary art gallery in the heart of Nottingham and is one of the largest and leading centres for international contemporary art in the UK.
The focus of our artistic programme is our four seasons of exhibitions a year, mostly curated and produced by Nottingham Contemporary. They usually take one of two forms: ambitious and innovative group exhibitions and pairs of solo exhibitions, which tend to lead audiences from an established or historic figure to a recent or emerging artist.
Since we opened in November 2009, in a landmark new building by Caruso St John, we have welcomed over 850,000 visitors – 50% above our target. We run a “dynamic, constantly inventive public programme” (The Observer) which expands on the ideas raised by our exhibitions and work very closely with Nottingham’s two universities, which draw over 60,000 students residents to Nottingham each year. 20% of our audience are national and international visitors. In 2019 we were shortlisted as finalists for the Artfund Museum of the Year.
We consistently attract national press and media coverage; our most recent exhibition featured in The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Telegraph, Art Review and The Financial Times. We have also recently been named “the most inspiring gallery of the year” by The Guardian.
At over 3,000 square metres, Nottingham Contemporary is one of the largest contemporary art centres in the UK. We have four galleries - lit by 132 skylights, The Space – a multipurpose space for film screenings and performances, The Studio – our learning room, Gallery Zero – for local community groups and artists, our shop and Café Contemporary.
Nottingham Contemporary has presented the work of over 200 artists from over 40 countries. They include David Hockney, Alberto Giacometti, Diane Arbus, Francis Upritchard and Turner Prize winners Steve McQueen and Wolfgang Tillmans.