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Estate of the art

Helen Clifton
10/ 9/2008

IF YOU go down to the woods today, you’re sure for a big surprise. In the shape of a bronze bear.

The sculpture, a perhaps unexpected addition to the rural surroundings of Derbyshire’s Chatsworth House, is just one of many iconic works to grace the surroundings of the stately home during Beyond Limits, an exciting collection of modern outdoor sculpture.

With pieces by artists including Salvador Dalí and Lynn Chadwick littering the grounds, embarking on a stately stroll round the lush gardens will never be the same again – and exhibitors are keen to maximise the unique setting to startling effect.

"A lot of effort goes into staging each piece in an imaginative way, and we encourage visitors to wander round in their own time, viewing the exhibits from different angles at different times of the day," says estate owner the Duke of Devonshire.

"We get people of all ages and backgrounds and a fantastically enthusiastic response to what are world-class sculptures."

Work from Colombia, Israel, Japan, France, Italy and the USA is being shown alongside new work by established artists like controversial sculptor Marc Quinn, whose sculpture of his head carved from his frozen own blood both shocked and fascinated the public.

Quinn’s new work, Planet, is a six-tonne baby which appears to float above the lawn.

Directly inspired by a visit to the grounds, Chilean artist Fernando Casasempere has created Fusion, while Yorkshire-born Richard Hudson has made a bronze statue called Love Me specially for the event.

The drama of the surroundings is the obvious reason why the site was chosen – with its sweeping gardens and magnificent stately home, the contrast between the conceptual cutting-edge nature of the work and the estate’s traditional Englishness could not be more arresting.

The Duke and Duchess of Devonshire are the exhibition’s biggest fans.

Their longstanding commitment to the use of their assets to exhibit and present new work is one of the main drivers behind the show. Over the past 15 years, the family has worked to build a collection of permanent work that provides a welcome addition to the hall. It was their enthusiasm that led them to set up the exhibition with Sotheby’s as a selling show three years ago – and it has now become an important focal point in the UK’s artistic calendar.

But none of the snobbery attached with high art is prevalent here. Members of the public can view what will potentially become classic works before they forever disappear behind the high walls of an art collector’s castle – and all for the price of a standard garden ticket.

Alexander Platon, director in Sotheby’s Impressionist and modern art department, says there is no better setting in which to show off sculpture.

"What to my mind makes the event here so compelling is not only the exciting nature of the pieces we’re able to bring together but also, and very importantly, the drama of the setting – the gardens here provide the most magnificent backdrop imaginable," he says.

The exhibition taps into the ever increasing appetite from both private collectors and the public for large-scale sculpture.

And, as proven by the draw of outdoor sculptures like Antony Gormley’s Another Place, the setting can be as crucial to the impact as the piece itself.

By taking work out of the often stuffy setting of an art gallery, sculpture really can be brought to life.

Beyond Limits – the exhibition is on view to all garden visitors at Chatsworth House, until 2 November.