Chiswick House & Gardens, one of West London’s best-loved historical destinations, is to be transformed into a cultural space. A new three-site art installation has been unveiled at the iconic Grade 1 Listed monument.
Although the gardens have remained open during the pandemic, The Roman-style Palladian villa is only re-opening its doors to the public shortly. It starts with a new programme to breathe fresh air into Lord Burlington’s 18th-century house and invites visitors to make new connections with the site.
Running from 31 May to 31 October 2021, Bring into Being is the title of the initiative which includes works by Turner Prize-winning artist Mark Wallinger, Ghanaian -British electronic musician and sound artist Peter Adjaye, and artist Jaimini Patel.
The programme marks a departure for Chiswick House as it moves it from a heritage site to a space that supports diverse forms of creative practices. As well as the new installations, workshops are to be held by textile artists, photographers, yoga instructors, and artists throughout the summer. Curated by Mariam Zulfiqar, Bring into Being and the upcoming events aim to explore different forms of activity to see what the future might hold for the historic villa and its grounds.
Peter Adjaye has created We Bear the Light of the Earth in Red, Green, Brown and Black – evocative music with influences from around the world spread across four spaces inside Chiswick House and accessed by QR codes.
Jaimini Patel’s Matter as the densest form of energy – energy as the lightest form of matter is made from organic materials collected from the gardens by the artist with the help of the Chiswick House gardeners. Spanning two rooms in Chiswick House, the artwork was created by collecting, drying, pressing, and freezing leaves.
Mark Wallinger’s British Summer Time is a human sundial in the grounds, and on the hour a music box plays a waltz accompanied by bubbles. The visitor is invited to be the ‘gnomon’ and the shadow they cast points towards the correct time of day
Tickets are £12.50 which includes admission to the Kitchen Garden and an audio guide narrated by Elizabeth McGovern (Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey). The children’s audio guide narrated by Sophie Ellis-Bextor includes quizzes. You can pick up a fee Family Trail of the House and there is a café and toilets on the grounds close to the house.
For more information and to book tickets, please visit Chiswick House & Gardens
