{"id":59185,"date":"2026-03-06T17:18:47","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T16:18:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/midsussex\/?p=59185"},"modified":"2026-03-06T17:22:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T16:22:17","slug":"henry-moore-and-more-premieres-at-wakehurst-this-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/midsussex\/2026\/03\/06\/henry-moore-and-more-premieres-at-wakehurst-this-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"Henry Moore and more premieres at Wakehurst this summer, bringing evocative sculpture together with innovative contemporary art"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"59185\" class=\"elementor elementor-59185\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1240a78 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"1240a78\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fd0a905 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"fd0a905\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Four Henry Moore sculptures\u00a0arrive at Wakehurst this summer<\/strong><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:-540,&quot;335559740&quot;:276,&quot;469777462&quot;:[720],&quot;469777927&quot;:[0],&quot;469777928&quot;:[8]}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><ul><li><strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Bold and imaginative contemporary\u00a0commissions\u00a0explore themes of conservation and connection with the natural world.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/li><li><strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Organised in partnership with the Henry Moore Institute and the Henry Moore Foundation<\/span><\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Experience iconic sculptures at both Wakehurst and Kew <\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Tickets available from \u00a31 for Universal Credit recipients, \u00a39.25\u00a0ticket for\u00a017-25 year-olds<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/li><\/ul><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">From\u00a05\u00a0June 2026\u00a0to 23 May 2027,\u00a0Wakehurst,\u00a0Kew\u2019s wild botanic garden in Sussex\u00a0will\u00a0host,\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/tracking.kew.org\/tracking\/click?d=LrsvnhjVw4M_4viXo9kfv4EbbsmxIgJ3E0l6Rt6uIVh4lmOAIhStahRFp8cat2BBkRyYBnXaBoXEmkBLsgaayAKDjrYI_ixMpmMucLxU_zeuqzLj9tCFmC-RL4YUsjzRutzfatzSLpaRCFbTph4WeF1OjWnkAKptxGbfFVAMgzG53JXPuHNtW4VoUQYwqy-GN5bI02F-A6sMHReEDFAGyiln0A3sXzUp5AKTaHiqN7C7c-lnPCQjlZSphjwcAmgZMdv63_Tj8aWqV8RFIajw8iHxRZ9TRL3MRyMCJqfqAEQr0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><em><span data-ccp-charstyle=\"Hyperlink\">Henry Moore and more<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/a><em>,<\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0a unique\u00a0outdoor\u00a0exhibition\u00a0in which\u00a0four of Moore\u2019s iconic sculptures\u00a0are\u00a0displayed\u00a0alongside\u00a0three\u00a0exciting\u00a0contemporary commissions\u00a0from acclaimed artists:\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Rana Begum, Rafael P\u00e9rez\u00a0Evans,\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\">and\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Paloma Varga Weisz.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This\u00a0is the first time that Wakehurst has collaborated with sister site, Kew Gardens,\u00a0on\u00a0a\u00a0major\u00a0arts\u00a0exhibition.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:-540,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Two of the contemporary artists\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Rana Begum and Rafael\u00a0P\u00e9rez\u00a0Evans &#8211; are showing newly commissioned works for the first time\u00a0ever\u00a0at Wakehurst.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:-540,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Rana Begum\u2019s site-specific sculpture combines industrial fencing with wooden logs, selected\u00a0from fallen trees\u00a0on-site. Arranged in a zigzag formation and bolted into timber blocks, the structure follows and accentuates the natural slopes\u00a0of\u00a0Wakehurst\u2019s\u00a0landscape\u00a0and\u00a0uses colour and form to explore the tensions between the\u00a0man-made\u00a0and the natural, architecture and landscape,\u00a0permanence\u00a0and transience.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:-540,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Rafael\u00a0P\u00e9rez\u00a0Evans\u2019\u00a0work,\u00a0\u2018Horizontals 2026\u2019, made on site at Wakehurst, is a series of participatory wooden sculptural forms, carved from timber,\u00a0located\u00a0within the Wakehurst landscape.\u00a0Shaped into humble horizontal platforms, each piece is slightly slanted to cradle a single person.\u00a0The forms\u00a0emerge\u00a0from the trunk through the lightest of cuts, pared back to what is necessary for rest.\u00a0\u2018Horizontals\u2019\u00a0was inspired\u00a0partly\u00a0by Henry Moore\u2019s reclining figures,\u00a0and by\u00a0the wisdom of\u00a0a\u00a0tired body that needs to stop,\u00a0lie down\u00a0horizontally,\u00a0like a fallen tree,\u00a0and pause\u00a0to look up and contemplate the sky and the stars above.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:-540,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Paloma Varga Weisz is showing a group of three recent sculptures\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0anthropomorphic figures\u00a0from her\u00a0characterful and evocative, folklore-inspired,\u00a0\u2018Wilde Leute\u2019 (wild people) series.\u00a0\u00a0In medieval times, \u2018Wild people\u2019\u00a0were considered\u00a0symbolic\u00a0of the primitive state of man, without social constraints, and in harmony with nature.\u00a0\u00a0Paloma began developing the series in 1998 as a collection of small ceramic sculptures, which she later revisited in\u00a0various sizes\u00a0and materials such as wood, glass,\u00a0and in this case,\u00a0bronze. The three sculptures going on show at Wakehurst have never been\u00a0exhibited\u00a0before in the UK.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:-540,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Set within the open landscape, the permanence of bronze contrasts with the mutability of nature, creating a dialogue between transience and stability,\u00a0individuality\u00a0and community, past and present.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:-540,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Henry Moore and more\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">will explore the\u00a0connection between art and nature.\u00a0The\u00a0four\u00a0Henry Moore works\u00a0loaned to Wakehurst for this exhibition have been\u00a0chosen in collaboration\u00a0with the\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/tracking.kew.org\/tracking\/click?d=ZLKZRcXaGuWcbpyv-PsF414av3fYIjXpRPrcbwOXqTOU19RQmlmBT0MBUe4JAr3wRv4vmhDyynBK3uTWPKZG7UyG__6lSYKzSZ_3hXkdZzy4KHa6DILkyS1owFEs-_rfWTg-ehvRagsKHn--_te01EA1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-ccp-charstyle=\"Hyperlink\">Henry Moore\u00a0Foundation<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-charstyle=\"Hyperlink\">,<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0in Hertfordshire,\u00a0while\u00a0the contemporary artists,\u00a0whose\u00a0works\u00a0will\u00a0also\u00a0be\u00a0on show\u00a0outdoors,\u00a0have been\u00a0commissioned in partnership\u00a0with\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/tracking.kew.org\/tracking\/click?d=zdBW5bFEoamrtesX5PD_YbKtZshBGxqfhhOCXIdgnqwE-5YcecrkylpgchlHk8m2BIHSw7mCyV1v_pipQpeLuYvxKde_UgouwgYJOULqDE9a_sE8czW4aOngU5hLSSjXFxj8DzQ0fnMJ9ErzTqmIrxo7AfJaCF6Lkd8NugEFs-OY0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-ccp-charstyle=\"Hyperlink\">Henry Moore Institute<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0in Leeds.<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:-540,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Henry Moore and more<\/span><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0will explore the connection between art and nature. The four Henry Moore works loaned to Wakehurst have been curated by the Henry Moore Foundation. The contemporary artists, whose works will also be\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">shown<\/span><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0outdoors, have been selected in collaboration with the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds. The Henry Moore Institute is the renowned centre for sculpture studies based in Leeds \u2014 the city where Moore himself first trained as an artist at the Leeds School of Art.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:-540,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><strong><span data-contrast=\"none\">Fresh perspectives on Moore\u2019s iconic works<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<br \/><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Wakehurst\u2019s\u00a0topography,\u00a0within the\u00a0beautiful and inspiring\u00a0High Weald\u00a0National\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-contrast=\"none\">Landscape\u00a0in Sussex,\u00a0will provide a\u00a0colourful seasonal\u00a0backdrop\u00a0for the artworks\u00a0throughout the year.\u00a0Henry M<\/span><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">oore works on\u00a0display\u00a0at Wakehurst will be\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Reclining figure\u00a0(1982), Mother and child\u00a0Block Seat (1983-4), Relief No. 1 (1959)\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">and\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Reclining Connected Forms (1969).\u00a0Henry Moore and more\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">will\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-contrast=\"none\">celebrate<\/span><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0Moore\u2019s profound connection to\u00a0the natural forms of the English\u00a0countryside,\u00a0creating a unique interplay between\u00a0his sculptures\u00a0and the surrounding landscape. In turn, visitors\u00a0will be\u00a0encouraged to reflect on the theme of\u00a0connecting to nature\u00a0and\u00a0how they\u202fperceive and interact with the natural world.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:-540,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Henry Moore: Monumental Nature, exhibition opens<\/span><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a09 May\u00a0at Kew Gardens.\u00a0This\u00a0will be<\/span><em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">the largest and most comprehensive outdoor showcase of Moore\u2019s work to date, featuring 30 works across Kew\u2019s landscape and inside the iconic Temperate House, the largest surviving Victorian glasshouse in the world. A dedicated exhibition in the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art will also feature over 90 rarely seen works, exploring Moore\u2019s unique process of \u2018thinking through nature\u2019.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:-540,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Contemporary\u00a0responses from innovative artists<\/span><\/strong><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:-540,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Each\u00a0contemporary work will take\u00a0a distinctively\u00a0contrasting\u00a0approach\u00a0in\u00a0their response\u00a0to the Wakehurst\u00a0landscape\u00a0and the vital science and research\u00a0being undertaken\u00a0to protect, conserve,\u00a0and restore nature.\u00a0The\u00a0common\u00a0inspirational thread running throughout\u00a0each work,\u00a0as with Henry Moore\u2019s sculptures,\u00a0will be the\u00a0human craving for a connection with\u00a0nature and the natural world. These works\u00a0will\u00a0invite\u00a0visitors\u00a0to\u00a0enjoy the sensory experience of\u00a0viewing\u00a0art\u00a0in novel ways\u00a0and\u00a0from different perspectives,\u00a0within\u00a0nature,\u00a0set against the context of Wakehurst\u2019s remarkable landscape.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:-540,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Susan Raikes,\u00a0Director of Wakehurst,<\/span><\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\">says<\/span><\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\">:\u00a0\u201c<\/span><em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">We\u2019re\u00a0thrilled to present, for the first time at Wakehurst, four of Moore\u2019s iconic sculptures as part of Henry Moore and more.\u00a0Partnering with the Henry Moore Institute to commission and\u00a0exhibit\u00a0new contemporary works from leading artists gives us a unique way to link Moore\u2019s enduring themes\u2014his deep care for and connection with the natural environment\u2014to today\u2019s most exciting artistic voices.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:-540,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cOur\u00a0contemporary\u00a0artists have also taken inspiration from Wakehurst as a living laboratory and the vital science and research that takes place through our pioneering Nature Unlocked\u00a0programme,\u00a0in addition to\u00a0our\u00a0globally important Millennium Seed Bank. Both embody our mission to care\u00a0for,\u00a0and conserve, the natural world.&#8221;<\/span><\/em><\/p><p>Image: Reclining Figure 1982. Photo Michael Phipps<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Four Henry Moore sculptures\u00a0arrive at Wakehurst this summer\u00a0 Bold and imaginative contemporary\u00a0commissions\u00a0explore themes of conservation and connection with the natural world.\u00a0 Organised in partnership with the Henry Moore Institute and the Henry Moore Foundation Experience iconic sculptures at both Wakehurst and Kew Tickets available from \u00a31 for Universal Credit recipients, \u00a39.25\u00a0ticket for\u00a017-25 year-olds\u00a0 \u00a0 From\u00a05\u00a0June [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":59186,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1208],"tags":[],"directory-category":[],"event_categories":[],"class_list":["post-59185","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art-culture"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-10-16 05:32:20","action":"change-status","newStatus":"trash","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/midsussex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59185","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/midsussex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/midsussex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/midsussex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/midsussex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59185"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/midsussex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59185\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59190,"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/midsussex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59185\/revisions\/59190"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/midsussex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/midsussex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59185"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/midsussex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59185"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/midsussex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59185"},{"taxonomy":"directory-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/midsussex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/directory-category?post=59185"},{"taxonomy":"event_categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefamilygrapevine.co.uk\/midsussex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/event_categories?post=59185"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}