Fascinating Exhibition To Show A Glimpse Behind The Scenes Of the Holkham Estate

Behind Closed Doors Exhibition at Holkham Hall

The exhibition, entitled ‘Behind Closed Doors: A Year in the Life of a Working Estate’, features the skilled work of renowned Magnum photographer Chris Steele-Perkins who exhibits regularly worldwide.  The unique photographic record of the estate is the subject of Steele-Perkins’s tenth book, launched in November 2014 entitled ‘A Place in the Country’.

Over a period of 12 months Chris regularly visited Holkham. His captivating, behind-the-scenes style has produced a series of charismatic photographs. These range from informal photos of Viscount and Viscountess Coke with their young family, the gamekeepers on shoot days dressed in their famous bowler hats and the team of gardeners as they work throughout the seasons. The housekeeping team cleaning and caring for the many rooms and the colour and vibrancy portrayed in photographs of the seasonal functions and events are also portrayed.

A selection of key photographs will form the basis of the display and will provide visitors with a real glimpse behind the scenes of what goes into running a large estate in the 21st century. The exhibition will demonstrate that past and present can and do sit side-by-side.  For while Coke of Norfolk – famed for his part in the agricultural revolution – can look down on visitors from a magnificent painting by Gainsborough in one of the state rooms of the hall, outside his drive to improve agriculture continues with a large scale, modern farming operation using the latest machines and new techniques.

It will also show that while the historic fabric of the estate is carefully maintained, new diversification projects such as a hotel and a holiday park, are all part of the Holkham mix. Each generation has a responsibility to preserve and pass on the heritage of the estate. Equally it is important that they make their own mark with new ideas and new ways of running the extensive business which Holkham is today.

Lord Coke said: “We are essentially a very private family so it was a big step to invite someone in to be a part of life at Holkham for 12 months.  Holkham in this generation is a fascinating mix of business interests and custodian responsibilities.  We must develop new ideas and create new income streams while maintaining the great heritage we have at Holkham.  We also have a big responsibility to conserve the many aspects of the estate from conservation of wildlife and landscapes to caring for great works of art and historic furniture and furnishings. This can only be achieved through teamwork and we are fortunate to have such excellent teams looking after everything at Holkham.  We hope this new exhibition will provide a real insight into the life of our estate and the people behind it.”

The exhibition will be open to visitors during the opening hours for Holkham Hall which are 29th March - 31st October 2015 from 12noon-4pm on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays plus Good Friday and Easter Saturday (3rd & 4th April).

Full details of admission prices and other visitor information can be found on the website www.holkham.co.uk

For more information on all ten Treasure Houses of England, please visit the new website at www.treasurehouses.co.uk

Churchill Exhibition at Blenheim Palace

The Oxfordshire World Heritage Site, which was the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, announces a newly-curated Churchill Exhibition for 2015.

Churchill Exhibition

The Churchill Exhibition opening marks the start of a year of commemoration as the nation recognises three key anniversaries; the 50th anniversary of his death, the 75th anniversary of his becoming Prime Minister and the 75th anniversary of, arguably, his finest hour during the Battle of Britain. 

The Churchill Exhibition includes a series of new displays and features aimed at providing a fascinating insight in to the life of our ‘Greatest Briton’. 

Each of the five rooms situated in the Palace will include a selection of new images, artefacts and audio as well as a replica uniform from his military days. Visitors will have the chance to listen to his most iconic speeches as well as learn more about his childhood at Blenheim Palace.

The exhibition will also focus on the great man’s state funeral, which brought the nation to a halt as they paid their final respects. The tour will include never-been-seen-before images from the funeral at Bladon Church.

New artefacts include an original Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars uniform, worn by Churchill’s colleague Ferdinand St. John. Visitors will again be able to see Churchill’s velvet ‘romper’ suit also known as the ‘Siren Suit’. He was known for wearing it with his monogrammed slippers whilst in the Cabinet War Rooms. 

Other never-seen-before items, including his pony saddle, help to paint the picture of Churchill’s childhood. Tales of his early equestrian career feature in his juvenile letters from boarding school to his Grandmother, the 7th Duchess of Marlborough.

The interactive exhibition now uses multi-media to enhance the visitor experience including video content which is screened within the rooms. There are transcripts from private communications and a section is dedicated to Churchill’s past love interests too. 

The Churchill Exhibition opens from 14 February – 20 December, more information can be found at blenheimpalace.com

AI WEIWEI AT BLENHEIM PALACE 1 October – 14 December 2014

Blenheim Art Foundation is delighted to announce the most extensive UK exhibition to date by celebrated Chinese artist and social activist Ai Weiwei. Opening at Blenheim Palace on 1 October as the inaugural and launch exhibition of the Blenheim Art Foundation, the exhibition will showcase more than 50 artworks by Ai Weiwei produced over the last 30 years. Featuring early photography dating to Ai’s time spent in New York in the 1980s through to new site-specific works conceived in China especially for the Palace, the show will give visitors the opportunity to experience first-hand the breadth of the artist’s practice, taking place throughout Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and its grounds.

AI WEIWEI AT BLENHEIM PALACE 1 October – 14 December 2014

Ai Weiwei at Blenheim Palace is the first major contemporary art exhibition to be presented in a building that dates back to 1704 and was famously the birth place of British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill in 1874. Inviting a new experience of Blenheim Palace by integrating artworks throughout the richly furnished palace rooms, as well as in the park and Formal Gardens, the exhibition will showcase the work of an artist known for his decisive breaking of tradition and will invite visitors to consider the artist’s particular vision, which questions what it is that we call ‘contemporary’.

A globally-recognised social activist, Ai Weiwei has not been able to leave China since 2011 when his passport was confiscated by Chinese authorities. The exhibition at Blenheim Palace is therefore realised through a close collaboration between the artist and the Blenheim Art Foundation team who have worked together with 3D plans and models of the site and grounds. New works realised for the Palace will include ‘Soft Ground (Great Hall)’, a site-specific carpet measuring 4510cm by 200cm displayed in the Great Hall; alongside hand-painted porcelain plates with ‘freedom flower’ details in the China Ante Room and ‘Sunflower Seed Stools’, also crafted in porcelain.

Seminal artworks on display will include ‘Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads: Gold’ (2010), Ai Weiwei’s reinterpretation of the legendary bronze zodiac head statues that once surrounded the fountain-clock at Emperor Yuanming Yuan’s Beijing imperial retreat and ‘He Xie’ (2010), featuring 2300 small porcelain crabs presented in the Red Drawing Room. The show will feature 55 photographs by Ai Weiwei documenting his time spent in New York 1983-1993 alongside ‘Marble Surveillance Camera’ (2010), a poignant reminder of Ai’s current situation; ‘Slanted Table’ (1997), a reconfigured Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) table; and ‘Map of China’, (2009) formed from wood reclaimed from temples also dating to the Qing Dynasty.

As the inaugural exhibition of the Blenheim Art Foundation, Ai Weiwei at Blenheim Palace marks a new programme of contemporary art, which will see exhibitions presented at the palace by internationally acclaimed contemporary artists. It is founded by Lord Edward Spencer-Churchill, whose family have resided at Blenheim Palace since it was built in the early 18th century, and whose father the 11th Duke of Marlborough is the current owner. A dedicated collector of contemporary art, Lord Edward has long held the ambition to launch a contemporary art programme at Blenheim Palace. He realises Blenheim Art Foundation with newly appointed Director, Michael Frahm.

Lord Edward Spencer-Churchill, Founder, Blenheim Art Foundation, said:  “The launch of the Blenheim Art Foundation is a very exciting moment for Blenheim Palace. We are delighted to be able to host an artist of the calibre and eminence of Ai Weiwei at Blenheim and hope that our new programme of contemporary art, beginning with this exhibition, will challenge and inspire our visitors.”

Michael Frahm, Director, Blenheim Art Foundation, said: “This exhibition presents an extensive view of the artist's diverse practice spanning more than three decades from the early 1980s in New York to modern day Beijing, where he is today confined to the borders of China. Ai Weiwei's way of approaching the world challenges the status quo and he continues to raise critical questions on social, cultural and political issues. It has been a true pleasure working with Ai Weiwei, turning our vision into reality, and it is a great privilege for us to launch Blenheim Art Foundation with one of the most important living artists.”

About Ai Weiwei

Born in 1957 in Beijing, Ai Weiwei is one of the most influential cultural figures of the 21st century. A prolific artist and social activist, based in Beijing, he has been a vocal critic of democracy and human rights in China. Ai was arrested in 2011 and held for 81 days without charge, sparking global protest. His passport was confiscated and he is currently detained in China where he lives and works in restricted conditions. 

Recent and current solo exhibitions include Evidence, Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin; Ai WeiWei in the Chapel at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Ai Weiwei: According to What?, Pérez Art Museum Miami; Ai Weiwei. Resistance and Tradition, Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporaneo, Seville, Spain; German Pavilion, Biennale de Venezia, Italy. With Herzog & de Meuron, Ai Weiwei was architect for the National Stadium of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. @Large Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz will open on Alcatraz Island on 27 September 2014.

About Blenheim Art Foundation

Blenheim Art Foundation launches on 1 October and will establish a new programme of contemporary art at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire. Offering visitors a unique opportunity to experience contemporary art in the historic setting of the palace and its celebrated grounds, the not-for-profit foundation aims to give the greatest number of people access to the most innovative contemporary artists working today. www.blenheimartfoundation.org.uk

About Blenheim Palace

Blenheim Palace was a gift from Queen Anne and a grateful nation to the 1st Duke of Marlborough for his great victory at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. Designated by the United Nations as a World Heritage Site in 1987, Blenheim Palace carries a unique aura of history and achievement. The Palace is also home to the 11th Duke of Marlborough and his family, and is the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. 

For more information - http://www.blenheimpalace.com/whats-on/exhibitions/ai-weiwei-at-blenheim-palace.html

Beaulieu Hosts Popular Sculpture Exhibition For Fifth Year

Agent Provacateur - Maggie Butler

Sculptures created by some of the most talented amateur and professional sculptors from across the south of England will form one of the largest sculpture trails in the country from 23rd May until 20th August, featuring figurative, abstract, floral and animal pieces created by the members of the Surrey Sculpture Society.
Set within the picturesque grounds of the Beaulieu attraction, the exhibition begins at the entrance to the world famous National Motor Museum and draws visitors along its trail, through the Victorian Ornamental Kitchen and Flower Gardens and Abbey ruins to Palace House and tranquil waterside setting. Smaller sculptures will be displayed within Palace House, which is one of just ten designated Treasure Houses of England.

It will be the fifth year that Beaulieu will host this popular exhibition and also the 20th anniversary of the Surrey Sculpture Society, a well-established regional arts organisation with over 350 members, which has been featured on national radio and television.

Belgian Barge Horse - Carol Orwin

“The Surrey Sculpture Society is delighted to be invited back once again to Beaulieu.  It is such a prestigious location and Beaulieu’s beautiful gardens provide the perfect setting to showcase our artists' work. The exhibition will also form part of our society’s 20th anniversary celebrations,” commented Sue Cundell, Chairman of the Surrey Sculpture Society.

Commenting on the success of the Sculpture exhibition last year the Hon. Ralph Montagu said: “The artworks add an extra element to the attraction for the thousands of visitors coming to Beaulieu and has become a much anticipated annual summer feature.”

Baby Elephant - Gilbert Wyman

Sue Cundell continued: “The sculptures range from traditional to contemporary styles offering broad appeal to suit all tastes and budgets. There is something for everyone to enjoy, from smaller works to major pieces of sculpture and all pieces in the exhibition are for sale.”

The exhibition can be seen as part of a visit to the Beaulieu attraction, which is open from 10 am every day.

For further information telephone 01590 612345 or visit www.beaulieuevents.co.uk.  For more information on the Surrey Sculpture Society visit www.surreysculpture.org.uk

Chatsworth in Wartime

A wide range of objects, including letters from the front line, photos, uniforms and paintings will reveal life on the Chatsworth estate during both World Wars. 

An Oscar Wilde book found by the Marques
of Hartington in his dugout at Gallipoli.
It was floating in water and shows signs of this.

The Derbyshire Yeomanry held camps and
trained in Chatsworth Park in the 1900s and
1910s. After the outbreak of the First World War,
they were billeted on the estate. Many of the men
enjoyed staying in the area. Some held a
cross country race through the Park.
They also appear to have been popular with local girls.

The exhibition will tell the stories of those who fought on the front line from the Somme to Gallipoli, including members of the Devonshire family; the house staff and estate workers and the contribution made by women through involvement with the Red Cross, the Women's Land Army and the WW2 'Dig for Victory' campaign. 

Life on the home front during the First World War is examined along with the impact of the war effort on the estate. In the garden, staff will be dressed as Land Girls while the Orangery border and Cottage Garden will be planted with vegetables as would have been done in WW1 and WW2.

During the Second World War, Chatsworth housed a girls' boarding school, Penrhos College, whose own building had been taken over by the Ministry of Food.  The State Drawing Room will be recreated as a dormitory, complete with beds and the original wardrobe, stored at Chatsworth since the girls moved out in March 1946. A group of alumni from the school are due to be among the first to view the exhibition following an invitation from the Duke of Devonshire.

Jacob van der Beugel exhibition at Chatsworth

Duke and Duchess of Devonshire
viewing the North Sketch Sequence

In a groundbreaking fusion of art and architecture, portrayals of the DNA of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and their heirs have become part of the fabric of the building at their ancestral family home, Chatsworth.

The walls of the North Sketch Gallery have been completely covered with textured, handmade ceramic panels in ‘The North Sketch Sequence’ by the artist Jacob van der Beugel. Raised ceramic blocks represent the DNA strand of ‘Everyman’ in the central portrait, which is flanked by the personal DNA profiles of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, their son Lord Burlington and his wife, Lady Burlington. This permanent contemporary ceramic installation in the North Sketch Gallery is the most important art installation at Chatsworth since the creation of the 6th Duke of Devonshire’s Sculpture Gallery in 1832.

Chatsworth in Wartime: 4 April – 23 December 2014

This exhibition marks the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War and the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War.

It uncovers the human cost of offensives such as Gallipoli and what life was like on the Chatsworth estate during two world wars.

Michael Craig-Martin at Chatsworth: 16 March – 29 June 2014.

Michael Craig-Martin will be the featured artist at Chatsworth in a rare exhibition devoted entirely to his recent work as a sculptor.

High Heel (pink) day by Michael Craig-Martin

The exhibition will comprise twelve large-scale sculptures, six of which will be unveiled for the first time, placed in the historic gardens and landscape at Chatsworth.

Each work is an immense line drawing in space fabricated in steel and painted in a vibrant hue.  Commonplace objects - an umbrella, a high heel shoe, a wheelbarrow - are dramatically enlarged and positioned to actively engage with their landscape setting.

How The First World War Affected An Historic Family, A Village And A Canine Companion Who Returned Alone From The Front To Holkham

Arthur Coke

When Holkham opens the doors to its 2014 exhibition it will lift the curtain on many poignant memories of the First World War, including one member of the Coke family whose faithful canine companion sadly returned alone from the front to live out his days on the historic north Norfolk estate.

Arthur Coke, grandfather of the present Earl of Leicester, spent his early service days in the Royal Navy before moving to the Horse Guards and seeing action in Flanders in the first Battle of Ypres which lasted for three months in 1914.

The exhibition will feature some poignant extracts from letters that Arthur wrote at the front and which take the reader from the build up to war, his reaction to war once action starts and his very early realisation that the war in Europe was set to be a static war in the trenches. At the end of 1914 Arthur wanted to see more action and was able to transfer to the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Armoured Cars.

Jack The Dog's grave

Four months later the Armoured Cars were in Lemnos, a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea.  The island was used by the allies as a base to try to capture the Dardanelles Straits. With the cars waiting for action, Arthur volunteered to help man the S S River Clyde which was the first troopship to put men ashore at ‘V’ beach on the Gallipoli peninsula. He was put in charge of five machine guns in the bows.  Battle commenced and was to last for some 13 hours but despite heavy losses the beach landing held. Arthur described this action as: “The greatest day of my life.” He went on to join the battle for Krithia but was killed on May 2 1915 during a particularly fierce offensive by the Turks.

Throughout his time in Gallipoli, Arthur was accompanied by his faithful dog, Jack - an Airedale Terrier. Following Arthur’s death, Jack was brought back to Holkham by Arthur’s fellow officers.  He lived out his days at Holkham and was buried near the orangery in 1918.

The exhibition will feature details of Arthur’s two brothers, Tom and Roger, who were also involved in the First World War and the impact the war had on the family. Personal letters, archives, books, photographs and artefacts will all be on display and the exhibition will also aim to show the impact of the war for the families of over 90 Holkham men who are mentioned on the Roll of Honour.

Viscount Coke said: “The Great War was supposed to be ‘The war to end all wars’, but as Harry Patch, the last surviving soldier known to have fought in the trenches said: “We have learnt nothing from it.” The making of this exhibition has been fascinating. I knew a fair bit about my great-grandfather Arthur’s service and his ultimate death at Gallipoli, but we have unearthed so much more about his brothers’ involvement in the war and that of many other Holkham men and women. I challenge our visitors not to be moved by it.”

Two special features on display in the courtyard at Holkham will demonstrate the creative talent of students at Norwich University of the Arts. The students will design and build a two-thirds scale profile of a Mark V tank and a replica 20 foot section of a trench representing the Somme battlefield. The trench display will also feature a memorial wall on each side and inside it will feature periscopes, a sniper hole and a selection of graphics.

Sarah Steed, business director at Norwich University of the Arts said: “NUA students Andrew Rhodes and Jason Billman are delighted to have been selected to work on the Holkham project. They hope to use their skills as a fine artist and an illustrator to bring the exhibition vividly to life for the families that visit.”

On August 4 there will also be a special day of reflection to commemorate Britain joining World War 1. Further details of the day will be published on the Holkham website in the coming months.

The 2014 exhibition at Holkham Hall will be open to visitors from April 1 to October 31 on a Sunday, Monday or Thursday between 12 and 4pm and normal hall admission charges will apply.  For further details about visiting Holkham please go to the website www.holkham.co.uk