Famous for a tiger shark preserved in formaldehyde and a diamond-encrusted skull sculpture, Turner Prize-winning British artist Damien Hirst has partnered with a stately home in Norfolk, UK, to exhibit a series of spot paintings.
A rather unusual backdrop for the contemporary artworks, Houghton Hall was built in the early 1700s for Britain’s de facto first prime minister, Sir Robert Walpole. Now an attraction, visitors this summer will find the family portraits that adorned the walls of the State Rooms have been replaced by 46 new and previously unseen paintings from Hirst’s Colour Space series, while nine of his large-scale bronze sculptures scatter the gardens.
Colour Space is an evolution of the Britart pioneer’s iconic Spot Paintings, the first of which he painted in 1986.
“The Spot Paintings … always look happy, although there’s an unease there too because the colours don’t repeat when you expect them to,” says Hirst. “I originally wanted the Spots to look like they were painted by a human trying to paint like a machine. Colour Space is going back to the human element, so instead you have the fallibility of the human hand in the drips and inconsistencies. There are still no two exact colours that repeat in each painting, which is really important to me. I think of them as cells under a microscope.
“It felt right to show them somewhere historic rather than in a conventional gallery space and Houghton’s perfect. It feels totally right,” the artist says.
Visitors to Houghton Hall can also enjoy the walled garden, restaurant and shop and experience the Soldier Museum, which contains the largest private collection of model soldiers in the world. The State Rooms themselves are richly decorated, filled with opulent furniture and sumptuous furnishings, and were designed to impress Walpole’s important guests.
“We’re delighted to have this opportunity to show Damien Hirst’s new paintings in the State Rooms at Houghton, together with some of his best-known sculptures in the grounds,” says Lord Cholmondeley, who owns the property. “It is the first time that Hirst has shown a significant body of work in a classical country house setting.”
Damien Hirst at Houghton Hall: Colour Space Paintings and Outdoor Sculptures is open to the public until 15 July.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2018 issue 2
People profile: Damien Hirst
Turner Prize-winning artist Damien Hirst exhibits a series of spot paintings and huge sculptures at a Norfolk stately home
People profile: Penka Kouneva
Movie and video game composer Penka Kouneva moves into the world of attractions with the Heroes and Legends exhibit and VR installations
Industry Opinion: Zoos & Aquariums
WAZA’s Sabrina Brando on providing animals with opportunities for choices, stimulating environments and enriching activities
Interview: Sultan Al Dhaheri
With the launch of Warner Bros World and
the Louvre in Abu Dhabi, the Department
of Culture and Tourism’s Sultan Al Dhaheri
explains how investing in attractions is
helping the emirate meet its tourism goals
Animal sanctuaries: Paws for Thought
The UK’s Big Cat Sanctuary is the subject
of a recent BBC documentary. Managing
director Giles Clark explains how the
facility works – and introduces Maya
the jaguar and Willow the cheetah
Science Centres: Getting Engaged
Researchers Dr Amy Seakins and
Dr Heather King explain how science
capital empowers science centres
to engage wider audiences in STEM,
plus European initiatives in action
Digital art: Light Fantastic
Tokyo-based digital art collective teamLab is
on a mission to change the way we interact
with and experience art. Magali Robathan
reports on the group’s installation work
and their upcoming museum launch
Famous for a tiger shark preserved in formaldehyde and a diamond-encrusted skull sculpture, Turner Prize-winning British artist Damien Hirst has partnered with a stately home in Norfolk, UK, to exhibit a series of spot paintings.
A rather unusual backdrop for the contemporary artworks, Houghton Hall was built in the early 1700s for Britain’s de facto first prime minister, Sir Robert Walpole. Now an attraction, visitors this summer will find the family portraits that adorned the walls of the State Rooms have been replaced by 46 new and previously unseen paintings from Hirst’s Colour Space series, while nine of his large-scale bronze sculptures scatter the gardens.
Colour Space is an evolution of the Britart pioneer’s iconic Spot Paintings, the first of which he painted in 1986.
“The Spot Paintings … always look happy, although there’s an unease there too because the colours don’t repeat when you expect them to,” says Hirst. “I originally wanted the Spots to look like they were painted by a human trying to paint like a machine. Colour Space is going back to the human element, so instead you have the fallibility of the human hand in the drips and inconsistencies. There are still no two exact colours that repeat in each painting, which is really important to me. I think of them as cells under a microscope.
“It felt right to show them somewhere historic rather than in a conventional gallery space and Houghton’s perfect. It feels totally right,” the artist says.
Visitors to Houghton Hall can also enjoy the walled garden, restaurant and shop and experience the Soldier Museum, which contains the largest private collection of model soldiers in the world. The State Rooms themselves are richly decorated, filled with opulent furniture and sumptuous furnishings, and were designed to impress Walpole’s important guests.
“We’re delighted to have this opportunity to show Damien Hirst’s new paintings in the State Rooms at Houghton, together with some of his best-known sculptures in the grounds,” says Lord Cholmondeley, who owns the property. “It is the first time that Hirst has shown a significant body of work in a classical country house setting.”
Damien Hirst at Houghton Hall: Colour Space Paintings and Outdoor Sculptures is open to the public until 15 July.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2018 issue 2
People profile: Damien Hirst
Turner Prize-winning artist Damien Hirst exhibits a series of spot paintings and huge sculptures at a Norfolk stately home
People profile: Penka Kouneva
Movie and video game composer Penka Kouneva moves into the world of attractions with the Heroes and Legends exhibit and VR installations
Industry Opinion: Zoos & Aquariums
WAZA’s Sabrina Brando on providing animals with opportunities for choices, stimulating environments and enriching activities
Interview: Sultan Al Dhaheri
With the launch of Warner Bros World and
the Louvre in Abu Dhabi, the Department
of Culture and Tourism’s Sultan Al Dhaheri
explains how investing in attractions is
helping the emirate meet its tourism goals
Animal sanctuaries: Paws for Thought
The UK’s Big Cat Sanctuary is the subject
of a recent BBC documentary. Managing
director Giles Clark explains how the
facility works – and introduces Maya
the jaguar and Willow the cheetah
Science Centres: Getting Engaged
Researchers Dr Amy Seakins and
Dr Heather King explain how science
capital empowers science centres
to engage wider audiences in STEM,
plus European initiatives in action
Digital art: Light Fantastic
Tokyo-based digital art collective teamLab is
on a mission to change the way we interact
with and experience art. Magali Robathan
reports on the group’s installation work
and their upcoming museum launch
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers
confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes.
The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor,
creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's largest visitor destinations.
The Toverland theme park in the Netherlands has announced a €98m expansion programme
that will add a resort, new attractions and staff facilities as it pursues plans to become a multi-
day destination.
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii
is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’
planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–
Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism inv
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