{"id":77404,"date":"2025-05-05T21:00:12","date_gmt":"2025-05-05T21:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/77404\/"},"modified":"2025-05-05T21:00:12","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T21:00:12","slug":"when-london-fails-go-to-somerset-or-a-rural-area-of-your-choosing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/77404\/","title":{"rendered":"When London fails, go to Somerset (or a rural area of your choosing)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hauser & Wirth curator Isabella Bornholt explains how a rural farmhouse in Somerset provides culture in contrast to London.<\/strong><\/p>\n

There has been a distinct shift in attitudes towards London<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s place in the art market. Some have
claimed<\/a> a stale over-saturation of \u2018safe\u2019 shows \u2013 often paintings. In an age where strenuous PR and social media efforts have challenged the necessity of physical spaces, risk-taking is essential in cementing the brand of smaller galleries. <\/p>\n

The state of economics hasn\u2019t just discriminated against smaller galleries in London\u2019s art world; however, recent closures of leading galleries such as Simon Lee<\/strong><\/a> and TJ Boulting<\/strong><\/a> have sent ripples throughout the city. Markets and tastes have shifted along with economic states \u2013 no one seems to understand what\u2019s going on. <\/p>\n

For Hauser & Wirth<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 one of the world\u2019s leading galleries, risk-taking has always played a role in
their rapid success. Their recent Somerset show, An Uncommon Thread<\/a><\/strong>, curated by Isabella
Bornholt<\/strong>, continues this trend.<\/p>\n

A gallery location in a rural farming town of just 2,800 people challenges the quick-moving, citycentric model. London suffers the consequences of its relentless pace. One day you\u2019re hot, the next day you\u2019re not. Now, it\u2019s not uncommon for galleries to be in small towns or rural locations \u2013 Gstaad<\/strong><\/a> in Switzerland has a population of just 9,000 yet houses Gagosian<\/strong>, Patricia Low Contemporary<\/strong>, and Hauser & Wirth<\/strong> themselves. Bruton, Somerset, is a rural farming town with a population of 2,800. So why does this work so well?<\/p>\n

\"Somerset,\u00a0\u2018An Uncommon Thread,\u2019 Hauser & Wirth Somerset, 2025.
Courtesy the artists and Hauser & Wirth. Photo: Ken Adlard.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve visited Hauser & Wirth Somerset twice in the last month. Every time I go, I\u2019m astonished by
the number of families, elderly couples, and leisure-goers touring the gallery alongside the \u2018arts
crowd\u2019. I\u2019ve never personally witnessed this in their London locations. <\/p>\n

If we think of regional institutions, generally they are doing exhibitions with well-established or
dead artists. Very rarely are mid-career or emerging artists brought to these regional areas.
Household names such as Andy Warhol or J.M.W. Turner attract visitors willing to pay or donate,
especially in areas with lower casual footfall. So why does this risk in Somerset work?
\u201cThere is a freedom felt in Somerset. Considering the simple contrast even in rental prices, the
ability to show emerging and mid-career artists in London is trumped in comparison by large spaces in regional areas,\u201d Bornholt states. And whilst this seems obvious on reflection, rarely does one acknowledge a large-scale regional approach \u2013 especially in a city-centric international market. With a farm shop and multiple bars and restaurants on site, their Somerset location fosters a sense of community that feels almost impossible in London. And, sadly, it is.<\/p>\n

It goes without saying that smaller galleries couldn\u2019t risk packing up and relocating to Somerset\u2014 or any rural farm location, for that matter. However, larger galleries with the funds should be taking the risks that smaller galleries can\u2019t afford to. Large galleries could generally use rural locations to \u2018test\u2019 emerging artists with local communities, who tend to be more responsive and vocal than Londoners. <\/p>\n

I\u2019m not stating that\u2019s what H&W Somerset necessarily do, but risk-taking can undeniably occur more prevalently in large spaces outside of London. Showcasing new experimental mediums comes with less financial pressure in rural locations\u2014a potential indicator of why this model works so well. \u201cEven if the drive is an hour away for some, people make the trip. The space isn\u2019t just a location for collectors and art lovers, but a place where the community can engage in contemporary art without having to travel to London. Even if you aren\u2019t versed in art history or visual references, visitors to our farm shops and bars are invited to engage with our artists, hopefully not feeling intimidated by the pretense of fine art, as can sometimes be the case in London,\u201d Bornholt expresses. <\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0\u2018An Uncommon Thread,\u2019 Hauser & Wirth Somerset, 2025.
Courtesy the artists and Hauser & Wirth. Photo: Ken Adlard.<\/p>\n

From firsthand experience, I truly echo this. My friend\u2019s mum drove us to the gallery (she\u2019s a local but had never visited) and was blown away by the display of art she hadn\u2019t seen before. Seeing new materials (Isabella\u2019s latest show featured no paintings) was a profound experience for her, and I noticed others feeling the same. <\/p>\n

Although regional locations do get shows featuring renowned artists, as stated earlier \u2013 they\u2019re
usually dead or well-established. Even that alone can come with a level of intimidation, creating an expectation to \u2018understand\u2019 the seriousness before entering. Yet in Somerset, showing completely innovative techniques from relatively unknown artists (at least to farming villages) creates access in a way that\u2019s typically reserved for Londoners like myself. Showing emerging artists priced up to \u00a320,000 may not be so viable in Mayfair for example, where monthly rent can reach six figures. It may work for a large warehouse in East London, but unless the artists themselves are on an intense trajectory, central London feels like a distant dream.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0\u2018An Uncommon Thread,\u2019 Hauser & Wirth Somerset, 2025.
Courtesy the artists and Hauser & Wirth. Photo: Ken Adlard.<\/p>\n

Curator Bornholt states:<\/strong> \u201cWe wanted to collaborate with galleries who were taking risks and
pushing boundaries with their artists\u2026 we get to showcase emerging and earlier-to-mid-career
artists outside London in an almost museum-like setting.\u201d This simple risk, enabled through the
gallery\u2019s global successes, is such a crucial element of why Somerset does so well. Locals feel
involved \u2013 invited even, and are able to participate in city-derived art scenes without facing tube
confusion or rancid pollution. Instead, a slice of contemporary culture is placed on their doorstep, with an added bonus of local ciders, cheeses, and produce awaiting their visit.<\/p>\n

In an over-saturated city, talent unfortunately doesn\u2019t always equate to success. The ability to stand out also depends on suitable space: a work might look terrible in a cramped Hackney group show, but a huge wall in Somerset allows for a significant museum-like setting \u2013 a much cleaner way for visitors to absorb perhaps more conceptual artworks. <\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0\u2018An Uncommon Thread,\u2019 Hauser & Wirth Somerset, 2025.
Courtesy the artists and Hauser & Wirth. Photo: Ken Adlard.<\/p>\n

Wrapping this piece together, I want to question the large galleries making millions per month yet producing boring, uninspiring shows \u2013 ones that may sell out to collectors but do nothing to push
the boundaries of art. <\/p>\n

We all have our opinions on large galleries, but I really want to stress the difference in approach that Hauser & Wirth are taking. They could easily rely on showing guaranteed names, yet they continuously invest in developing the wider art ecosystem. Their expansive list of niche locations and residency programmes, their community learning models, their dedication to hospitality, and their genuine sincerity \u2013 all mark how a globally leading gallery should champion art beyond commercial incentives. <\/p>\n

I urge more curators, gallerists, and so-called \u2018champions of art\u2019 to actually push boundaries \u2013 stop hiding behind commercial staleness or blaming the \u2018terrible art market\u2019 to excuse a lack of
curatorial ambition.The UK needs to remain a risk-taker in art, and while things may seem bleak,
we can look to curatorial efforts from those such as Isabella Bornholt, with a bit of hope that things might get exciting again.<\/p>\n

Learn more<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a92025 Hauser & Wirth <\/p>\n

\"Art<\/a><\/p>\n

James Marshall is a Scottish writer, curator and videographer\/content creator based in London. James takes interest in art and artists which question or threaten institutional frameworks, looking forward to the future of reframing. In addition to writing, James regularly creates video content and artist interviews, providing firsthand glimpses into arts and creative projects, festivals and artists.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hauser & Wirth curator Isabella Bornholt explains how a rural farmhouse in Somerset provides culture in contrast to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":77405,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7757],"tags":[37979,748,393,4884,37981,37980,257,1474,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-77404","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-london","8":"tag-an-uncommon-thread","9":"tag-britain","10":"tag-england","11":"tag-great-britain","12":"tag-hauser-wirth","13":"tag-hauser-wirth-somerset","14":"tag-london","15":"tag-somerset","16":"tag-uk","17":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114457242971379674","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77404","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77404"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77404\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/77405"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}