Goodwood Estate’s Art Revolution: Why the U.K.’s Racing Mecca Is Now a Cultural Destination

When one says Goodwood, they might initially think: speed. The most coveted and rare classic and hyper-cars racing at the Festival of Speed, the iconic Goodwood Revival, where visitors dress head-to-toe in fantastic vintage outfits transforming the tracks and its surroundings into a nostalgic celebration of long-gone times, or the multi-day Glorious Goodwood horse race – Goodwood stood for thundering hooves and high-octane legends since the dapper and entrepreneurial Charles Gordon- Lennox, the 11th Duke of Richmond took over the family Goodwood Estate.

Who Says Goodwood Is Only About Speed?

But recently, a slower rhythm pervades the grounds near Chichester in southern England, inviting us to pause and reflect. After careful planning the Duke of Richmond has translated the artistic legacy of his forefathers into the 21st century, resulting in an exciting art destination. The restrained and elegant design of the newly constructed pavilions nestles seamlessly into the landscape, where visitors will find light-filled galleries. Forest glades were cleverly navigated to allow sculptures to shine through and open up some spectacular views under the landscaping vision of Dan Pearson.

Carefully placed outdoor sculptures form a walking path, that embeds the artistic experience into nature, alongside the vegetable patches from which the new restaurant sources its seasonal ingredients.  Spaces for outdoor performances were anticipated, as was an extensive program designed to appeal equally to an international audience as to school groups from all types of backgrounds. And with some luck and good weather, you can even get a glimpse of the coast.

Those who live in London like me cannot complain about a lack of art programming on offer – there are always fantastic shows on view in the capital (if you follow my Instagram, apologies for spamming you with all the great summer shows). But you mostly encounter artworks in an institutional context, that always provides similar light conditions and pristine galleries. This makes the opportunities to experience art in a more natural environment so exciting – you get to see how it interacts with a changing background that breathes and changes with the seasons and weather conditions. As an art advisor, I always ask myself how works of art will unfold new facets once they arrive in a collector’s home. It’s even more fascinating when art asserts itself in a setting that is both scenically and historically so rich.

Art Meets Landscape in a Visionary Setting

In recent years, venerable estates such as Blenheim Palace, Houghton Hall, and Chatsworth House have been innovating their stately spaces by introducing visionary artist projects. Goodwood has been more reserved so far. But this silence was not to be confused with inactivity. After seven years of intensive research and studying numerous international sculpture parks, the ambition to establish a groundbreaking and not-for-profit art foundations crystallized. And so, on a typically frosty and wet English spring day, I set off for West Sussex to see how this vision took shape before the foundation opened to the public. It wasn´t the icy wind on that rainy day that blew me away.

With Ann Gallagher, the former director of the Tate Gallery, the Duke brought an internationally renowned expert on board, whose program includes both artists with whom she had already worked intensively and names lesser known in this country, such as Isamu Noguchi and Hélio Oiticica.

Centuries of Art Patronage Reimagined for Today

The tradition of supporting artists dates back over 300 years at Goodwood, when the ancestors of the current Duke housed George Stubbs as artist in residence (three of his masterpieces adorn the family collection alongside Canaletto, Reynolds, Romney and Van Dyck). He is nevertheless careful not to force this legacy into a historical corset, but to revitalize it. No work illustrates this more gracefully than the work of New York artist Amie Siegel. In her sophisticated video works, she examines the origins and provenance of valuable possessions. The acclaimed film “Bloodlines,” produced in 2022 follows the traces of Stubbs’ paintings in aristocratic residences and museums. Through the subtle composition and associative editing of her films, she raises questions about our cultural heritage despite all her restraint. For her 2023 series “Cloudes,” she took up the clouds in the painter’s compositions and created atmospheric individual shots of these veiled structures. When these works are briefly brought together for exhibitions, this underscores their fleeting transience.

The larger-than-life pineapple sculpture by Rose Wylie adds a surprising colorful accent. “Pink Pineapple” reveals layered facets of a once exotic and rare fruit with playful ease. When it first arrived in Europe from Latin America in the 17th century, the fruit became a luxury item and, as such, was adopted in all sorts of art forms to symbolize prosperity and hospitality. Its form, however, reminded the artist of the English expression “prickly woman,” alluding to women who are not afraid to make their thoughts and feelings known – critical connotations not excluded.

A Place for Play, Learning, and Discovery

The main pavilion of the Foundation shows the work of Rachel Whiteread – the first woman to win the prestigious Turner Prize and primarily known for her impressive sculptures that bring the past and the invisible into the realm of the visible. Giving a physical body to emptiness, she creates memorials of the everyday and the destroyed. A large sculpture almost guarding the woodlands greets visitors with her matter-of-fact yet sophisticated form language. Inside the gallery, her rarely shown photographic work continues the dialogue between indoor and outdoor with images of exterior spaces.

The Duke of Richmond himself has always been a passionate photographer. In the days leading up to the opening, he is busily overseeing the final details, and his extensive team, from landscape gardeners, kind gallery staff to the diligent chefs in the restaurant, are putting finishing touches on the project. We tour the exhibitions and highlights of the outdoor sculptures with the Director Richard Grindy before they open to the public, and his anticipation that something significant has been created is palpable.

A central concern of the Duke is art education – especially in a country where art and cultural education is increasingly underfunded. Sally Bacon developed a comprehensive education and learning program that not only appeals to young people but actively engages visitors of all ages. One example of this is Oiticica’s “Magic Square Pavilions,” which will be on display outside of Brazil for the first time. His colorful installation was originally conceived for children and playfully breaks down the barriers between art and the public.

Goodwood’s Cultural Future Begins Now

From now on, accessible to the public year-round, the well-thought-out program aims to make art tangible in dialogue with nature and history. And when it can shine so brilliantly on such a dull day, nothing can stand in the way of this plan, whatever the weather.

What is Goodwood Art Foundation?

A not-for-profit Foundation, our mission rests on three pillars: Art, Environment, and Education. The Foundation aims to create truly inspirational experiences, creating opportunities to enjoy art in a beautiful natural setting, and fostering wellbeing, creativity, and lifelong learning for people of all ages and abilities through engagement with art and a connectedness to nature.