‘5&20′ is a group exhibition exploring contemporary craft co-curated by Brookfield Properties and the Crafts Council, hosted at 99 Bishopsgate, London from 14 May – 26 September 2024. The exhibition is launched as a celebration of the ongoing collaboration of Brookfield Properties and the Crafts Council and their combined milestone anniversaries in 2024 – five years of the Brookfield Properties Craft Award and 20 years of Collect.
Now in its fifth year, the Brookfield Properties Craft Award, created in partnership with the Crafts Council, is considered the leading contemporary craft prize in the UK. It supports makers in their creative process and showcases the best in British craft, through free and accessible exhibitions for the public. Each year, the winner is selected from the line-up at Collect, the Crafts Council-produced annual art fair, which showcases the very best works in today’s contemporary craft and design market. Marking its 20th edition this year, Collect brings together 40 exhibiting galleries representing more than 400 of the most exciting international artists presenting works across a range of disciplines and materials. As part of the Brookfield Properties Craft Award prize package each year, a piece of the winning artist’s work is acquired by Brookfield Properties and donated to the Crafts Councils collection, which now comprises over 1,800 objects.
This one-off celebration show at 99 Bishopsgate, supported with funding from the London EC BID, will exhibit over 30 artworks from the Crafts Council’s Collection, with a direct link to Collect, five of which will be a seminal work from each of the previous recipients of the Craft Award including Halima Cassell as the new 2024 winner. Past winners of the Brookfield Properties Craft Award include Matt Smith (textiles and ceramics; 2020 winner represented by Cynthia Corbett Gallery), Anna Ray (textiles; 2021 winner represented by House on Mars Gallery), Christian Ovonlen (textiles; 2022 winner represented by Intoart), and Alice Kettle (textiles; 2023 winner represented by Candida Stevens Gallery).