HOWZAT

Catharine Patha, curator, Man in the Holocene, E8

I think Tino Sehgal is the most radical artist around — he had a solo show at the ICA earlier this year. Paul Noble is another strong contender. People always have difficulty when it comes to declaring who is “the best”; it is problematic, but at the same time the Turner Prize excites people and draws a different kind of public into the art world.

Francis Borzello, writer and art historian

I don’t think it is fair to pull a name out of the hat. I do think the Turner Prize, like literary prizes, is an in-thing. Why do certain artists get promoted? It is exclusive, but at the same time it’s a very good thing for the world — art needs publicity, and the Turner Prize gets loads, so art gets talked about.

But I don’t know if it affects the course of art. To be cynical, it is about money and pulling in the crowds, and the Turner Prize serves that purpose for the Tate. I can’t get more excited about it than that. You won’t get chosen if you are not in the right place, in the right crowd, in the right gallery. It’s a bit like the Oscars.

Gillian Ayres, artist

I couldn’t possibly name someone. Nicholas Serota put the age limit on it and new Labour wanted a profile of young Britain, so the Turner Prize fits that image. There’s just not enough painting in it for me.

Angela Flowers, chairman of Flowers Galleries

Tim Lewis is my nominee. I think he is the most extraordinary genius. I don’t use that word lightly.

The end of the road is in sight for the Turner Prize. It is too restrictive. I don’t agree that it should be just for young artists. There are lots of artists who come up on the shortlist whom I’ve never heard of. It is an in-club because of Serota, and I’ve accused him personally of always getting his own choice. He says the public have an input, but I have heard that their opinions go straight in the bin.

Have you been to the prize? It’s so boring. It used to be a nice sit-down dinner; now you can’t even have your pudding sitting down. Everything is so geared up for the Channel 4 coverage, they make you eat it standing up.

Dinos Chapman, artist