The Colony - a film installation by Dinh Q. Lê
A haunting reflection on empire, exploitation and the environment – shown on an estate built on the legacy of the extractive guano industry
- Booking not needed
- Free event (admission applies)
Step into the stark and desolate landscape of the Chincha Islands through The Colony, a four-screen film installation by acclaimed Vietnamese artist and filmmaker Dinh Q. Lê (1968 – 2024). Presented in the Drawing Room of Tyntesfield House, the film brings viewers face-to-face with the landscapes and legacies from which the Gibbs family amassed their wealth.
Off the coast of Peru, the Chincha Islands were once blanketed by vast colonies of seabirds. By the mid-1900s, these rocky outcrops had become the centre of a booming global trade in guano (seabird droppings) – highly prized as a natural fertiliser. The Gibbs family became major importers and distributors of guano in Britain, their fortune built on profits from this extractive industry.
Lê’s films capture the islands as they are today – uninhabited but presenting the occasional return of labourers who harvest guano by hand. Set to Daniel Wohl’s elegiac score, the films depict abandoned structures and guano workers amid arid island landscapes. Blending arial drone footage with scenes captured from a boat, the different perspectives reveal the human isolation and harsh labour conditions that echo the burdens of past generations.
The Colony reflects on the human and environmental costs behind the guano trade, the industry that funded development of the house.
An accompanying display, Costing the Earth, features 150 years of Gibbs family belongings, revealing the cost of everyday objects to people and the planet.
Times
Prices
Event ticket prices
This event is free, but normal admission charges apply for the venue.
Check admission pricesThe basics
- Meeting point
The installation can be found in Tyntesfield House, namely in the Ante Room, the Drawing Room and the Organ Room.
- What to bring and wear
Prams and large bags can be left in the buggy store in the Chapel Courtyard during your time in the House. Smaller bags should be carried by hand or worn on your front.
- Accessibility
Tyntesfield House is accessible via a step-free route. A mobility shuttle is available for transport if needed. Assistance dogs are welcome in Tyntesfield House, and a wheelchair is available for those using e-chairs.
- Other
Dinh Q. Lê, The Colony, 2016 - The Colony was commissioned by Artangel, Ikon, Birmingham, Han Nefkens H+F Collection, Proyecto Amil, Lima, with additional support from, Catherine Petitgas, Private Collection, New York, Shoshana Wayne Gallery. Produced by Artangel and TANQ Studios, this project was supported by Arts Council England, Artangel International Circle, Special Angels, Guardian Angels and The Company of Angels. The Colony is part of The Artangel Collection, an initiative to bring outstanding film and video works, commissioned and produced by Artangel, to galleries and museums across the UK. Please be aware that the exhibition contains references to torture and death by suicide. One of the films contains images of nudity.
Upcoming events
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Introduction to Green Woodworking (Sorry, sold out)
Learn the basics of bodging with the Somerset Bodgers.
Halloween Trail
Explore Victorian Halloween traditions on this fun, family-friendly trail around the estate
Make a rustic stool or coffee table (sorry, sold out)
In this two-day course, you'll make a three or four leg stool or coffee table with the Somerset Bodgers.