My Bed, Tracey Emin, 1999

My Bed is probably the most notorious work of the British artist Tracey Emin. First shown in 1998 at the Toyko’s Sagacho Exhibition Space, and in New York’s Lehmann Maupin gallery the subsequent year, My Bed became best know through an exhibition at Tate Modern in 1999 as one of the shortlisted works for the Turner Prize. Because of its appearance, the work immediately gained much media attention and caused a lot of debate.

Struggling with depression and sexual frustration, Tracey Emin locked herself up for 4 days in her room without eating or drinking anything but alcohol. When she looked at the vile, repulsive mess that had accumulated in her room, she suddenly realised what she had created.