Art by the Sea: Visiting Guide to Turner Contemporary Gallery in Margate
Whenever I visit Margate, my first stop is usually the Turner Contemporary art gallery. Opened originally in 2011, amid a blaze of publicity, it was part of a grand plan to help rejuvenate the town, badly hit by high unemployment levels, under investment as well as helping to bring accessible art collections to areas outside London.
Set on the sea front, the modern sloped building is certainly very accessible and the vast space inside is perfect for a large scale exhibitions.
It’s a little shame that apart from a rare miniature self portrait of Turner himself, there is not much about the artist’s time in Margate, for example a permanent exhibition, which might have provided visitors with a good introduction to his work and link to the town and its sea views and shades of light which so influenced his work.
My favourite reasons for visiting the Turner Contemporary
The sea view from inside the gallery is amazing and I could easily just stand there and watch it without going any further.
I also always pop in to the gallery souvenir shop because it has local art, tasteful souvenirs and locally produced jams, chocolates and other treats. It’s a great way to support the gallery and get a lovely gift from Margate at the same time.
Last time I visited the gallery I also tasted amazing sourdough toasties and had a great coffee at Louie On Sea cafe, which is right at the entrance to the gallery.
And of course, there is the Tracey Emin neon sign outside the gallery above the tourist information house, which used to be the old harbour master’s office.
Another thing I like about the Turner Contemporary is that there is no permanent exhibition (which I believe it’s quite unusual for this type of gallery). Instead, it works through temporary exhibitions and loans from institutions like Tate, the British Museum, and private collections. This means that there is always something new whenever I visit. The gallery typically runs 2–3 major exhibitions per year.
One of my recent favourite exhibitions involved fresh apples suspended on strings in the gallery space, left to rot over the course of the exhibition. I chatted to one of the gallery staff who told me they needed to keep the gallery humidity low to make sure the apples didn’t rot too quickly!
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Turner Contemporary Gallery History
The gallery was conceived as part of a cultural regeneration project for Margate. It was named after J. M. W. Turner, the famous English painter who went to school in Margate and often returned to paint its skies and coastline.
The gallery sits exactly where J.M.W. Turner once stayed at a boarding house run by Mrs Booth, his long-term companion. That house was later demolished, and the gallery now occupies the seafront site.
The building was designed by Sir David Chipperfield Architects. Its minimalist form consists of six interconnected blocks, inspired by the shapes of industrial sheds along the coast.
Because of its exposed seafront location, the gallery had to be engineered to withstand storm surges and flooding. The whole structure is lifted on a plinth, and the walls are made of acid-etched concrete to resist the salty sea air.
Work on the gallery began in the mid-2000s, with construction taking place between 2006 and 2011. The final cost was around £17.5 million.
The gallery was completed and opened to the public in April 2011 and attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors in its first year.
As of 2025, the gallery is preparing for a £5.3m expansion to improve visitor facilities and exhibition space.
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Major exhibitions over the years
2011 (Opening Year)
- “Revealed: Turner Contemporary Opens” – featured works by J.M.W. Turner alongside contemporary artists like Cornelia Parker, Daniel Buren, and Douglas Gordon.
2012
- “Turner and the Elements” – explored Turner’s fascination with natural forces.
- “Ruth Ewan: A Jukebox of People Trying to Change the World” – an evolving archive of political songs.
2013
- “Curiosity: Art and the Pleasures of Knowing” – celebrated wonder and exploration, with works from Leonardo da Vinci to contemporary artists.
- “Turner and Constable: Sketches from the Tate Collection” – brought together two giants of British landscape painting.
2014
- “Mondrian and Colour” – explored Piet Mondrian’s early, lesser-known use of colour.
- “Jeremy Deller: English Magic” – Turner Contemporary hosted part of the UK’s 2013 Venice Biennale exhibition.
2015
- “Grayson Perry: Provincial Punk” – a major retrospective of Perry’s ceramics, tapestries, and prints.
- “Risk” – explored risk-taking in art, featuring Marina Abramović, Yoko Ono, and others.
2017
- “Every Day is a New Day” – included works by British sculptor Phyllida Barlow and South African artist Yinka Shonibare.
- “We Will Walk – Art and Resistance from the American South” – focused on African American artists from the Civil Rights era.
2019
- “Turner Prize 2019” – one of the UK’s most prestigious art prizes was hosted here, with Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Helen Cammock, Oscar Murillo, and Tai Shani jointly winning.
2021 (10th Anniversary)
- “The Tourists” by Michael Rakowitz – a major commission reflecting on colonial history and museum collections.
- “Barbara Walker: Place, Space and Who” – explored themes of race and belonging.
2022–2023
- “In the Offing” – a group show exploring the sea and horizon in art.
- “Beyond Form: Lines of Abstraction, 1950–1970” – charted abstract art across Europe and the US.
2024–2025
- “Beyond the Page: South Asian Miniature Painting and Britain, 1600 to Now” – explored cross-cultural influences between South Asia and Britain.
- “The World of Roger Ackling” – celebrated the British artist known for his sun-burned wooden works.
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Tracey Emin connnection to Turner Contemporary
Tracey Emin has a very close connection to Margate as she grew up here. She also has her art studio and foundation supporting young artists.
The gallery has hosted several important Emin exhibitions and projects over the years:
2012 – “She Lay Down Deep Beneath the Sea”
- A major solo exhibition at Turner Contemporary.
- Explored themes of love, mortality and the sea, with works in drawing, painting, sculpture, and neon.
2017 – “My Bed” (on loan from Tate)
- Emin’s iconic installation “My Bed” (1998), shortlisted for the Turner Prize, was shown at Turner Contemporary.
- Displayed alongside works by J.M.W. Turner, highlighting connections between Emin’s raw self-expression and Turner’s emotional landscapes.
2021 – “I Never Stopped Loving You” (Neon Installation)
- Emin installed a pink neon work in her own handwriting across Margate’s seafront, visible from the gallery and the beach
Practical information for visiting the Turner Contemporary
Address: Rendezvous, Margate, Kent, CT9 1HG
Opening Times: Tuesday to Sunday (& Bank Holidays): 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Closed: Monday
Facilities: Shop, Café, Lockers, Toilets
Ticket Prices: Free
Parking: There is no parking belonging to the Turner Gallery directly, but the Margate Harbour Arm is the closest (paid) car park. Unless you are happy to park quite far away from the centre, there is no ‘free’ street parking in the centre of Margate and the car parking prices are about the same no matter where you park.
This blog post was originally published on 17 September 2025 and last updated on 17 September 2025
