20 artworks of the ING Discerning Eye exhibition 2021 that caught my eye

20 artworks of the ING Discerning Eye exhibition 2021 that caught my eye

The ING Discerning Eye Exhibition 2021 edition celebrates its 30th year in one of the longest-running commercial sponsorships of the arts in the UK making it a perfect example of how the private sector can support the arts.

Silver lining from the pandemic: after a fully virtual exhibition in 2020, the 2021 edition sees the first-ever hybrid exhibition which will make it accessible to a larger public and increase the visibility for the artists and the organization.

The 500 shortlisted artworks of contemporary British art will be exhibited both at the Mall Galleries in London and online, from 12 November to 21 November 2021. I had a chance to get a preview of the show (online) and I picked 20 artworks that particularly caught my eye.

A focus on small-scale works with a unique selection process

Made up of experts from across the art world – two artists, two collectors and two critics – the selection panel chose pieces spanning across all mediums, styles and genres to represent some of the best art made in Britain today. 

Some of the artwork comes from artists who are personally invited by a selector and more than half of the works is selected through an open submission process, allowing emerging artists to exhibit alongside established names. This year the ING Discerning Eye 2021 received more entries than ever before: 7,500 works from artists across the UK.