Art at Mottisfont

Visitors enjoying an art exhibition at Mottisfont, Hampshire

Mottisfont became the centre of a creative circle in the early 20th century thanks to last owner Maud Russell. We continue those traditions today with up to five major exhibitions a year in a spacious art gallery. We also support artists in residence to create site-specific installations here.

The house and great plane tree in autumn sunshine at Mottisfont, Hampshire

Please check before visiting 

The house and gallery currently remain closed following the coronavirus crisis. Please check our homepage for the most up to date information about visiting.

Art installations

A laser scan of Mottisfont's Whistler Room

Casting Light 

An immersive art installation by artists Heinrich & Palmer which takes an imaginative journey through Mottisfont’s architectural layers using a combination of lighting, 3D laser scanning technology, video projection and sound. Originally created to be shown inside the house, Casting Light is now available online for you to experience from home.

Immerse yourself in architecture

Pilgrim

Step into the beech circle for a sound experience combining Japanese percussion and bass baritone voice, inspired by Mottisfont’s heritage as a place of pilgrimage.

Hywel Davies is a composer, sound artist and installation artist. His wide-ranging output includes the sound installation Test Polyphony which was installed in the Cellarium here from June 2013 to April 2014.

This installation taps into the experience of the pilgrim: as an outsider, observer or wanderer. The work is written for Japanese virtuoso percussionist Kuniko Kato and Englsh bass-baritone Laurence Williams. The music runs on a loop, broadcast from speakers embedded in four hemlock tree trunks.

Pilgrim can be found in the beech circle
Speakers mounted into wood in a circle of beech trees at Mottisfont
Pilgrim can be found in the beech circle

An artistic past

Maud Russell made Mottisfont into a vibrant hub of artistic activity from the 1930s onwards. She supported and commissioned work. She invited many Modern British artists, critics and designers for long weekends of croquet and creative conversation here.

Artist and collector Derek Hill was a frequent visitor. He honoured his long friendship with the Russells by leaving a substantial collection of 20th-century art to us.