Now in their 90s, art patrons Wilfred and Jeannette Cass have opened their most ambitious exhibition ever. 'A Beautiful Disorder', on show at the Cass Sculpture Foundation in Sussex features the monumental works of 18 leading Chinese artists.
They are an impressive sight; a giant grey bust of Chairman Mao by Song Ta stands among the oaks and fir trees; a maze of chalk pathways, designed by Xu Zhen to replicate protest routes, criss-cross bucolic meadows, while manicured lawns have been turned into an archaeological dig by Tu Wei-Cheng in which ‘excavation’ sites contain ‘cultural relics’ such as USBs, speakers and mobile phones.
It’s not the first time the Casses have funded emerging artists. ‘We knew sculptors had a really rough time so we wanted to do something to help them,’ says Jeanette. ‘But it was Henry Moore who really started the madness,’ adds Wilfred. ‘He said art is best seen outdoors.’ Since 1992, the couple have invited more than 200 artists to their 26-acre site and everyone from Tony Cragg to Philip King, Rachel Whiteread to Anthony Caro have benefitted from their patronage.
New directors took the helm in 2013, and since then, the foundation’s focus has widened. Cass executive director Clare Hindle explains, ‘this exhibition is a landmark moment as it’s the first time we are commissioning works by international artists.’ All the works are an exciting addition to this sleepy corner of Sussex, and indicate the scale of the foundation’s future ambitions.
Why do they never take colour photos? by Song Ta, 2016
Movement Field, by Xu Zhen, produced by MadeIn Company, 2016
Bu Num Civilisation Wheel, by Tu Wei-Cheng, 2016
Pictured left: Pigeon House, by Cui Je, 2016. Pictured right: Pause, by Zhang Ruyi, 2016
Molar, by Jennifer Wen Ma, 2016
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Cass Sculpture Foundation website
ADDRESS
Cass Sculpture Foundation, New Barn Hill
Goodwood,nr. Chichester
West Sussex, PO18 0QP
-
Rediscover a classic midcentury hotel in SydneyFender Katsalidis leads a major renovation of the landmark Sofitel Sydney Wentworth hotel, pairing 1960s modernism with an elevated, Australian-minded reset
-
Haute Couture Week A/W 2025: what to expectFive moments to look out for at Haute Couture Week A/W 2025 in Paris (starting Monday 7 July), from Glenn Martens’ debut for Maison Margiela to Demna’s Balenciaga swansong. Plus, ‘new beginnings’ from JW Anderson
-
Inside Frank Lloyd Wright’s Laurent House – a project built with accessibility at its heartThe dwelling, which you can visit in Illinois, is a classic example of Wright’s Usonian architecture, and was also built for a client with a disability long before accessibility was widely considered
-
What is recycling good for, asks Mika Rottenberg at Hauser & Wirth MenorcaUS-based artist Mika Rottenberg rethinks the possibilities of rubbish in a colourful exhibition, spanning films, drawings and eerily anthropomorphic lamps
-
See the fruits of Niki de Saint Phalle and Jean Tinguely's creative and romantic union at Hauser & Wirth SomersetAn intimate exhibition at Hauser & Wirth Somerset explores three decades of a creative partnership
-
Technology, art and sculptures of fog: LUMA Arles kicks off the 2025/26 seasonThree different exhibitions at LUMA Arles, in France, delve into history in a celebration of all mediums; Amy Serafin went to explore
-
Inside Yinka Shonibare's first major show in AfricaBritish-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare is showing 15 years of work, from quilts to sculptures, at Fondation H in Madagascar
-
Inside Jack Whitten’s contribution to American contemporary artAs Jack Whitten exhibition ‘Speedchaser’ opens at Hauser & Wirth, London, and before a major retrospective at MoMA opens next year, we explore the American artist's impact
-
Frieze Sculpture takes over Regent’s ParkTwenty-two international artists turn the English gardens into a dream-like landscape and remind us of our inextricable connection to the natural world
-
Harlem-born artist Tschabalala Self’s colourful ode to the landscape of her childhoodTschabalala Self’s new show at Finland's Espoo Museum of Modern Art evokes memories of her upbringing, in vibrant multi-dimensional vignettes
-
Pino Pascali’s brief and brilliant life celebrated at Fondazione PradaMilan’s Fondazione Prada honours Italian artist Pino Pascali, dedicating four of its expansive main show spaces to an exhibition of his work
