Goodwood Art Foundation Opens with Rachel Whiteread Amid 70 Acres of Sculpted Landscape
The Goodwood Art Foundation has made a splash this summer in West Sussex, marking a significant new chapter in the UK’s contemporary art scene.
This long-awaited project, nestled within the historic Goodwood Estate, kicked off its inaugural program on May 31, 2025. Spanning seventy acres of beautifully designed, ever-changing landscapes by Dan Pearson, this cultural space represents a refreshing approach to experiencing large-scale art—outdoors, in motion, and harmoniously interacting with the environment rather than dominating it.
At the core of its opening season is a standout exhibition featuring the work of Rachel Whiteread, an artist renowned for her concrete sculptures that delve into themes of memory, domesticity, and the unseen spaces left by human existence. Her latest monumental piece, Down and Up, is strategically placed at the highest point of the Foundation, grounding the landscape with both formal and emotional weight. Cast from a synagogue staircase, this work’s empty presence feels both personal and grand—an echo of private rituals set against a public, open-air backdrop. Whiteread’s pieces, displayed both in the natural surroundings and within the Foundation’s newly renovated gallery spaces, take on new layers of meaning here.
Outside, the concrete surfaces change with the elements, while indoors, the Pavilion Gallery showcases two of her recent sculptures alongside a lesser-known yet captivating photographic series. These images, captured in abandoned and decaying locations, resonate with the themes of her sculptural work: containment, silence, and the remnants of life after it has moved on. Rather than playing a supporting role, the photographs act as emotional and conceptual foundations, highlighting the often-overlooked details that inform her larger cast objects.
The surrounding program features works by artists who similarly delve into themes of architecture, movement, materiality, and memory. Visitors will find Lubna Chowdhary’s ceramics beautifully integrated into the café’s design; Isamu Noguchi’s concrete sculptures that play with geometry and the concept of play; and Susan Philipsz’s haunting voices echoing through the ancient woods. In the Pigott Gallery, Amie Siegel presents her film Bloodlines, which follows the journey of equestrian paintings by George Stubbs—including those created at Goodwood—through various collections and histories.
Outside, the playful sculptures of Rose Wylie take shape as whimsical pink pineapples crafted in bronze. Later in the season, a rarely seen outdoor piece from Hélio Oiticica’s Magic Square series will round out the program. Initial impressions indicate that the Foundation’s curatorial approach is deliberate, grounded, and spatial. There’s no sense of over-explanation here. The artworks are given space to breathe, allowing visitors to meander and interpret them in their own way. The exhibition opts for resonance over spectacle. Rachel Whiteread’s stark sculptures become meditative focal points against the backdrop of rustling leaves and the ever-changing Sussex skies. Her photographs, often overlooked in more traditional settings, emerge here as poignant reflections on themes of disintegration and solitude.
The Foundation itself is built on three core principles: art, environment, and education. This autumn, an extensive learning program led by cultural strategist Sally Bacon will kick off, focusing on creative engagement for children and young people throughout the region. The Western Amphitheatre—part of the beautifully designed Schwarzman Gardens by Dan Pearson—will act as a hub for performance and education, seamlessly blending school visits, artist-led workshops, and public events with the same thoughtful care that’s evident throughout the landscape.
The project, in terms of architecture, keeps things simple and understated. Studio Downie Architects have thoughtfully revamped two existing gallery spaces and introduced a new café—named 24, a nod to the seasonal zones of the site—designed to blend seamlessly into the woodland surroundings. The café’s menu, crafted by chef Harry Cartwright, highlights foraged and locally sourced ingredients, enhancing the connection between art and the natural rhythms of the land.
Visit:
The inaugural programme runs through 2 November 2025.
Location: New Barn Hill, Goodwood, Chichester, PO18 0QP
Opening hours: Thursday to Monday, 9am–5pm
Tickets: £15 (free for under-18s; concessions available).
More information: www.goodwoodartfoundation.org
Elena Leo is the Culture & Lifestyle Editor of Ikon London Magazine.
