Turner Prize heads to Gateshead's Baltic

Baltic will show the shortlisted artists' work before the prize is announced

The 2011 Turner Prize will be presented at Gateshead's Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, it has been revealed.

The prestigious prize is awarded each year to a British artist under the age of 50 for work in the 12 months before.

In the run-up to the winner being announced in December 2011, there will be an exhibition of the shortlisted artists' work at the Baltic.

The Gateshead venue will be the first non-Tate venue outside London to host the prize.

Tate Liverpool hosted the event in 2008 and from then it was decided to present the prize at Tate Britain and a gallery outside London in alternate years.

'Tremendously exciting'

The shortlisted artists will be announced in April.

Previous winners include Gilbert & George, Antony Gormley and Damien Hirst.

Baltic chief curator Laurence Sillars said: "It is tremendously exciting that Baltic will host what is undeniably one of the most important and recognised prizes for contemporary art in the world.

"The exhibition will bring the work of four leading artists that represent the very best of contemporary British art to Gateshead.

"We look forward to welcoming visitors from near and far to Baltic to see this extraordinary exhibition and to participate in the exhilarating debate that never fails to accompany the prize."