judges - United kingdom
Bruce McLean
UK
Bruce McLean is a leading figure in the British contemporary art scene. The Scottish artist is highly regarded and his sculptures, paintings and performance art have influenced artists locally and abroad. Bruce has held over 100 solo shows. He has also exhibited at prominent international shows like Documenta and the Venice Biennale.
What they say
What do you do?
I am a sculptor. Everything I do or make is part of my enquiry into what sculpture could be
Artwork that first blew your mind?
Spoon Woman by Alberto Giacometti, which I saw at the age of 8 in 1952
Favourite art ‘ism’?
I designed the invisible Museum of Isms
Stephen Beddoe
UK
Stephen Beddoe is the Director of External Relations at Central Saint Martins at the University of the Arts London. Before joining UAL, he worked as an arts consultant and as Visual Arts Officer for the London Arts Board. Stephen is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Trustee of the London Print Studio. He trained as an artist at the Glasgow School of Art and has exhibited his work internationally.
Jojo Spice
UK
Jojo Spice is an independent art consultant who’s worked extensively in the contemporary art world for the last decade. She worked in sales at the White Cube gallery before going on to become a consultant for corporate collections - including the Royal Bank of Scotland. Jojo also spent some time as Associate Director of Annely Juda Fine Art.
What they say
What do you do?
I introduce people to artists and pieces that I hope will inspire them to build a collection that will grow over time. I pride myself on wheedling out rare works that are very hard to find and will be real gems for their collections
Artwork that first blew your mind?
The Garden of Earthly Delights, by Hieronymus Bosh – This surrealist, highly fantastical, and terrifyingly bizarre painting completely and utterly surprised me
Your surreal go-to object?
Rene Magritte's bowler hat. He used it to show us that you need not look far for the mysterious as it lurks everywhere in the most conventional objects or the most conventional of lives
Emily Tobin
UK
Emily Tobin is the Arts Editor and Deputy Features Editor at House & Garden in London. She has worked at the magazine for seven years and is Editor of the annual Living with Art supplement.
What they say
What do you do?
I’m the arts editor at House & Garden so I spend my days looking at beautiful things and writing about them
Your surreal go-to object?
It’s a toss-up between Dali’s Mae West Lips sofa or his Rainy Taxi
Favourite art ‘-ism’?
I’ve always had a soft-spot for the strangeness of Mannerism but Fauvism is hard to beat
Joe Kennedy
UK
Joe Kennedy is Co-Founder and Director of Unit London, one of London's breakthrough independent galleries. Unit celebrates some of the world's most cutting-edge contemporary artists. Named as one of the Top 5 Young Contemporary Galleries in London, Unit's belief in promoting gifted artists regardless of their profile, reputation and background is a key message that has resounded with collectors worldwide.