Materials Worlds at Sudeley Castle, UK

Last year we reported on the Sotheby's Contemporary Design Fair at Sudeley Castle - the 10th-century Cotswolds pile that was once home to Katherine Parr (Henry VIII's last wife). This year the venerable auction house returns to Sudeley, once again showcasing artworks by leading international designers and architects in this most stately of settings, with a stellar line-up that includes Ingo Maurer, Tord Boontje, Paul Fryer, Laura Ellen Bacon, David Adjaye and Amanda Levete.
The exhibition, entitled 'Material Worlds', brings together sculptures and installations by 11 artists from the UK, Canada, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Lebanon - priced from £2,200 to £216,000. As you'd expect, plonking these 21st century works in a bucolic medieval setting creates a pleasingly dramatic juxtaposition. As Henry Moore, whose collected works are currently on display in the grounds of Jacobean manor Hatfield House, put it: 'Sculpture is an art of the open air.'
We particularly like Paul Fryer's 'The Kingdom (47Hz)' - essentially a giant, 5m tall tuning fork. Lighting maestro Ingo Maurer's ethereal 'LED Table', installed to great effect in the castle chapel, is also impressive. While Andrea Salvetti's 'Mazzolin di Fiori' ('Bouquet of Flowers') - a cupola of 1,500 aluminium blooms - looks spectacular against the backdrop of honey-coloured Cotswold stone.
Curator Janice Blackburn describes Sudely Castle 'as a magical place, where visitors will embark on a wonderful treasure hunt through the gardens.' Best of all, if your pockets are deep enough you can even take the treasure home.
'Gate' by Ambrose Burne, 2011
'Mazzolin di Fiori' by Andrea Salvetti, 2011
'Mazzolin di Fiori' (detail) by Andrea Salvetti, 2011
'Giza' by David Adjaye, 2007
'J.B. Schmetterling' by Ingo Maurer, 2011
'LED Table' by Ingo Maurer, 2011
'Form of Intrigue' by Laura Ellen Bacon, 2011
'Form of Intrigue' by Laura Ellen Bacon, 2011
'19 Series' by Omer Arbel, 2007
'The Kingdom' by Paul Fryer, 2007
'Weighed, Counted, Divided' by Paul Fryer, 2011
'Pooh', 'Madam' and 'Owl' by Stephen Johnson (part of his 'Now Isn't That Lovely' series), all 2011
'Rain Table and Rain Chairs' by Tord Boontje, 2011
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
Must-visit cinemas with award-worthy design
Creativity leaps the screen at these design-led cinemas, from Busan Cinema Centre’s record-flying roof to The Gem Cinema Jaipur’s art deco allure
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
The modernist home of musician Imogen Holst gets Grade II listing
The daughter of the composer Gustav Holst lived here from 1964 until her death, during which time the home served a locus for her own composition work, which included assisting Benjamin Britten
By Anna Solomon Published
-
This fun and free-spirited photography exhibition offers a chromatic view on the world
‘Chromotherapia’ at Villa Medici in Rome, explores how we view colour as a way of therapy, and how it has shaped photography over the last century (until 9 June 2025)
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Surrealism as feminist resistance: artists against fascism in Leeds
‘The Traumatic Surreal’ at the Henry Moore Institute, unpacks the generational trauma left by Nazism for postwar women
By Katie Tobin Published
-
From activism and capitalism to club culture and subculture, a new exhibition offers a snapshot of 1980s Britain
The turbulence of a colourful decade, as seen through the lens of a diverse community of photographers, collectives and publications, is on show at Tate Britain until May 2025
By Anne Soward Published
-
Jasleen Kaur wins the Turner Prize 2024
Jasleen Kaur has won the Turner Prize 2024, recognised for her work which reflects upon everyday objects
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Peggy Guggenheim: ‘My motto was “Buy a picture a day” and I lived up to it’
Five years spent at her Sussex country retreat inspired Peggy Guggenheim to reframe her future, kickstarting one of the most thrilling modern-art collections in history
By Caragh McKay Published
-
Please do touch the art: enter R.I.P. Germain’s underground world in Liverpool
R.I.P. Germain’s ‘After GOD, Dudus Comes Next!’ is an immersive installation at FACT Liverpool
By Will Jennings Published
-
‘Regeneration and repair is a really important part of how I work’: Bharti Kher at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Bharti Kher unveils the largest UK museum exhibition of her career at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
By Will Jennings Published
-
‘Mental health, motherhood and class’: Hannah Perry’s dynamic installation at Baltic
Hannah Perry's exhibition ’Manual Labour’ is on show at Baltic in Gateshead, UK, a five-part installation drawing parallels between motherhood and factory work
By Emily Steer Published
-
Francis Alÿs plots child play around the world at the Barbican
In Francis Alÿs' exhibition ‘Ricochets’ at London’s Barbican, the artist explores the universality of play, even in challenging situations
By Amah-Rose Abrams Published