The ING Discerning Eye

About

A total of 466 works - including paintings, prints, sculptures, drawings and photographs - by 275 artists will be on show from 15 - 25 November 2018 at the Mall Galleries in London. The exhibition celebrates multi-disciplinary and cross-generational creativity, and provides a rare opportunity for emerging artists to show work alongside established practitioners.

This year’s dynamic selection panel comprised: Sadie Clayton, Artist and Fashion Designer; Bridget McCrum, Artist; Cherie Federico, Editor, Aesthetica Magazine; Frances Hedges, Associate Editor for Harper’s Bazaar and Town and Country; John Benjamin Hickey, Actor; and Nick Ross, Radio and Television Presenter. Each selector will curate a section of the exhibition with its own distinctive identity, resulting in six small exhibitions within one overall show.

“It was a privilege to be invited to select works for the ING Discerning Eye exhibition, not only because it gave me a fascinating insight into an incredible array of artistic practices but also because the process challenged me to hone my own eye. Whittling down more than 2,000 works of art to a few hundred was a formidable challenge for the jury, but I am confident that between us we have put together an exhibition that showcases the diverse talents of artists working in Britain today. I am particularly proud to have been able to champion female artists through my invited selection and hope that giving them a platform to show their brilliant work will convey an important message about equal representation in the art world.”

– Frances Hedges, associate editor, Harper’s Bazaar

The uniqueness of having each work chosen by an eminent individual has earned the Exhibition an excellent reputation among art lovers and collectors alike. ING Discerning Eye remains captivating and inspiring as a result of the unpredictability and variety of the selectors' choices, and also because it offers an opportunity to discover exciting early-career artists, many of whom are at pivotal moments in their career.

Commenting on the two-decade sponsorship from ING, Małgorzata Kołakowska, CEO, ING UK, Ireland and Middle East, said; “ING is proud to support the ING Discerning Eye Exhibition for the 20th year in 2018. When you see 20 years of sponsorship in numbers, the size of the positive impact of the exhibition is clear. During our 20 years as partner with the Discerning Eye Exhibition, more than 2500 artists have been exhibited, just under 10,000 works have been hung, close to £250,000 has been awarded as prizes to exhibiting artists and more than £800,000 worth of art has been sold on behalf of artists. As we celebrate this landmark year in our partnership, the shared commitment of ING and Discerning Eye of encouraging emerging talent and making arts accessible to new audiences is at the fore.”