About Turner Contemporary
Turner Contemporary is at the heart of the regeneration of Margate. Our starting point is a celebration of JMW Turner's association with the town, while our primary goal is to promote
the understanding and enjoyment of visual art, in the process bringing new life to the area. Central to that ambition is the creation of a new gallery, built on the location of the lodging house
where Turner stayed, overlooking Margate's picturesque bay.
Turner (1775-1851) was a regular visitor to Margate throughout his life, drawn by the quality of the light. He once remarked that 'the skies over Thanet are the loveliest in all Europe'.
As a visionary and innovative practitioner, Turner is probably this country's most influential painter. The gallery being built in his name has been conceived as a catalyst for exciting developments across the town. Even as the building is put in place we are using different sites in the area for an engaging and very varied programme of events, designed to bring people together in a celebration of the power of visual art to inspire
and transform.
Jeremy Deller and Alan Kane, Steam Powered Internet Machine, 2006
Commissioned by Turner Contemporary