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Artist Tracey Emin's controversial artwork My Bed is coming to Margate

Controversial artist Tracey Emin is bringing her iconic installation My Bed to the Turner Contemporary later this year.

The former Margate resident, who has shown huge support for the gallery since it opened in 2011, says she is particularly excited about displaying the intimate artwork in her hometown.

It will be shown alongside a collection of landscape painter JMW Turner’s work of seascapes and stormy skies from Thursday, October 12 until Sunday, January 14, 2018.

Artist Tracey Emin
Artist Tracey Emin

Emin said: “Out of all the places My Bed has been shown this is one of the most exciting and ambitious for me as I know the audience will be very discerning.”

The piece was created by Emin in 1998 when she was living in a council flat in Waterloo and going through a traumatic relationship breakdown.

It shows her real bed at the time, with crumpled stained sheets, dirty underwear and empty bottles of alcohol - a personal and emotional snapshot of her life.

Tracey Emin's installation My Bed. © Tate, London 2017
Tracey Emin's installation My Bed. © Tate, London 2017

The art was first displayed at the Tate in 1999, sparking large public interest, and it was then nominated for the Turner Prize.

It was later bought by Charles Saatchi and displayed at the Saatchi Gallery and at County Hall London.

My Bed is now on long-term loan to the Tate after being sold at auction to a private collector in 2014 for more than £2.54 million.

The divisive artwork will be loaned from Tate’s collection to the Turner Contemporary, specially chosen by Emin.

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