Aesthetica Art Prize 2026
17 July – 15 November 2026
Included in general admission | Book now

The Aesthetica Art Prize returns to York Art Gallery, celebrating its twentieth year as an international platform for contemporary art.

The exhibition showcases incredible talent from shortlisted contemporary artists around the globe, all working across different art forms. The mixed media approach will create a visually striking display that sits alongside the other range of historic, modern and contemporary works currently on show inside the gallery.

This year’s themes include the environment and our relationship to it both past and present, global identities and culture, as well as health and wellbeing in the modern age.

Working across a range of mediums including digital media arts, the Prize supports York’s status as a UNESCO Media Arts City and bolsters the creative industries that already exist within the historic city. The annual show continues to make a powerful contribution to contemporary cultural conversations and shapes the future of artistic practice.

Aesthetica Art Prize 2026 opens at York Art Gallery on Friday 17 July and can be found in the Upper North gallery on the first floor.