Sotheby’s to Offer Spectacular Works by Leading International Designers at Sudeley Castle

LONDON.- Sotheby’s announces an exciting line‐up for MATERIAL WORLDS, its second outdoor selling exhibition at Sudeley Castle, from 28th July to 30th September 2011. The exhibition brings together cutting‐edge, one‐off and limited edition works in strikingly different materials by 11 artists and designers, including Ingo Maurer, Tord Boontje, Paul Fryer, Laura Ellen Bacon and leading architects David Adjaye and Amanda Levete. Set amidst medieval Sudeley and its romantic ruins and award‐winning gardens in Gloucestershire, the works will challenge the boundaries of Design, Art and Craft. Prices range from £2,200 to £216,000.

The exhibition’s curator, Janice Blackburn, said: “Sotheby’s commitment to supporting new works and bringing together both established and upcoming designers is the leading driver in this very special exhibition. Sudeley Castle is a magical place and visitors will embark on a wonderful treasure hunt through the gardens. The objects, each chosen for their innovation and originality, will surprise and delight the eye. New and specially commissioned works by some of the world’s best‐known designers and architects will make MATERIAL WORLDS a destination exhibition for collectors.”

MATERIAL WORLDS features designers from the UK, Canada, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Lebanon, whose works are produced in a range of materials including iron, glass, aluminium, concrete and vintage fabric. The juxtaposition of these overtly 21st Century works in a medieval setting creates a dramatic impact.

Highlights include: Artist Paul Fryer’s dramatic sculpture The Kingdom (47Hz); ‘Godfather of Light’ Ingo Maurer’s ethereal LED Table, which illuminates the Sudeley chapel; architect David Adjaye’s monumental granite Giza bench; V&A Extension winner Amanda Levete’s sculptural Drift bench in cement and limestone and Andrea Salvetti’s glittering cupola, Mazzolin di Fiori, composed of 1,500 aluminium flowers.

Two works specially commissioned for Sotheby’s Sudeley exhibition are Laura Ellen Bacon’s Form of Intrigue, an incredible installation of woven ash twigs, which cascades down the castle ruin. Three witty silver‐plated sculptures from Stephen Johnson’s Now Isn’t That Lovely series: Madam; Owl and Pooh are situated in the knot garden.

Also featured are Tord Boontje’s powder‐coated aluminium Rain Table and Chairs and Ambrose Burne’s lyrical steel Gate. Lebanese duo, Bokja’s giant Queen Bees in recycled metal and vintage fabric are designed to highlight the rapid depletion of the world’s bee population.

SUDELEY CASTLE
Situated in Gloucestershire in the Cotswold Hills, Sudeley Castle has a history spanning over 1000 years. The castle and its enchanting gardens have been at the heart of some landmark moments in British history. Katherine Parr lived at the castle following her marriages to King Henry VIII and Sir Thomas Seymour, while Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey, Queen Elizabeth I and King Charles I have been among the castle’s most distinguished visitors. Sudeley is today the home of Lady Ashcombe and the Dent‐Brocklehurst family, who are dedicated to the regeneration of the castle and its gardens, with a particular emphasis on environmental sustainability. Since 2005, Mollie Dent‐Brocklehurst has staged a series of exhibitions of contemporary art at Sudeley including Vertigo and Reconstruction and the success of these shows has resulted in the recent collaborations with Sotheby’s.

Commenting on Sudeley’s collaboration with Sotheby’s, Lady Ashcombe said: “Following the success of last year’s exhibition, we are delighted to be working with Sotheby’s on a second exciting new show of contemporary design. MATERIAL WORLDS will, without doubt, enhance our visitors’ experience at Sudeley this summer. It is wonderful to be presenting such a visually exciting exhibition which is in such striking contrast to the historic castle itself.”

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