A Norfolk hall is set to be cast into the visual arts spotlight once again with news of a major new exhibition at the historic home being announced today.
Houghton Hall, near Fakenham, is to host a show focussing on the work of Turner Prize-winning British sculptor Richard Long.
Land and Sky: Richard Long at Houghton will run from April 30 to October 26, and it will be the largest exhibition of the artist's work since his retrospective show Heaven and Earth at Tate Britain in 2009.
Mr Long, whose work is deeply rooted in nature, is considered to be one of the most influential figures of conceptual and land art. He created the outdoor sculpture Full Moon Circle for Houghton in 2003 and he will be crafting a number of new works especially for this latest exhibition.
The Marquess of Cholmondeley, who owns Houghton Hall, said: 'I am delighted that such an important exhibition of Richard Long's work will be presented at Houghton including many new works. My hope is that in time Houghton will become a 'must-see' destination for those interested in contemporary art and sculpture.'
Mr Long has had major solo exhibitions around the world, including in Spain, Argentina, Germany, America and Japan, and he was made a CBE in 2013.
His new works in the grounds of Houghton Hall will use a variety of materials, including local carr stone, trees from the estate, flint and slate. There will also be large mud works in the hall's outdoor colonnades, and smaller-scale works in gallery spaces, as well as historic material relating to the artist's career. The exhibition will be curated by Lorcan O'Neill in association with the artist.
Land and Sky: Richard Long at Houghton follows on from the 2013 Houghton Revisited exhibition which saw paintings once owned by Britain's first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole, transported from the St Petersburg Hermitage back to their original surroundings at Houghton and attracted more than 115,000 visitors, and the 2015 LightScape exhibition of lightworks by contemporary American artist James Turrell.
Land and Sky: Richard Long at Houghton will run from April 30 until October 26. The exhibition will be open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays only. For more information, including ticket prices, visit www.houghtonhall.com
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