Radical Horizons: The Art of Burning Man at Chatsworth is a large-scale exhibition in the publicly accessible 1000 acre park surrounding the house, which sees 12 monumental sculptures from Burning Man, going on display in the UK for the first time from 9 April to 1 October.

While Radical Horizons takes place in Chatsworth’s parkland, a second exhibition Living With Art We love: An exhibition presented by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire will be taking place inside the house from 26 March to 9 October.

It features favourite items from their acquisitions over the past 40 years, few of which have been on public display, including paintings, sculpture and furniture, and including some works from the historic collection with a section dedicated to Lucian Freud in that artist’s centenary.
 

The Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, said: “We’re delighted to be announcing this celebratory programme for Chatsworth. The exhibition in the house is a marker in time - a record of our acquisitions that we want to share with others - while the sculptures in the park continue the great tradition of the estate as a backdrop for contemporary works. We very much hope that visitors find inspiration here in this special place.”

The Art of Burning Man at Chatsworth

Radical Horizons: The Art of Burning Man at Chatsworth is an ambitious sculpture exhibition designed to celebrate a shared culture of making and collaboration. Burning Man is a unique event that usually takes place annually in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, USA, and Chatsworth has worked with the Burning Man team and artists to bring its distinctive culture of possibility and creativity to the Derbyshire landscape.

Chatsworth and Burning Man were introduced by Sotheby’s, who saw a synergy between the two organisations in their commitments to creativity and community.

The exhibition features eight existing sculptures and four works built on site, including three new participatory sculptures that will be created in the parkland with the help of visitors and local community groups over the course of the year, mirroring the build process at Burning Man that sees teams of volunteers gathering in the desert to create new artworks.

Free to access and enjoy for all, the exhibition also benefits from a dedicated engagement programme working with communities of people who generally find Chatsworth hard to access, offering activities designed to leave a legacy of creative possibility and new connections with people.

The Burning Man Project produces the annual Burning Man event in Black Rock City, and works year-round to extend and facilitate the culture that has grown from the event into the larger world.

Kim Cook, Director of Creative Initiatives at Burning Man, said: “We’ve come to understand Chatsworth as a place to foster innovation, creativity, thoughtfulness and thinkers since its early days, something that is also central to our work and ethos at Burning Man. Our hope is that the art in the landscape will provoke joy, new ways of viewing, and be an invitation to make up your own story about meaning as you explore the beautiful expanse of Chatsworth.”

Living With Art We Love

The Duke and Duchess of Devonshire are longstanding supporters of artists and makers alike and have collected works throughout their lives. This exhibition brings the artworks that they live with and love into the public areas of the house to share with visitors for the first time.

Specially selected objects include paintings, sculpture, furniture, ceramics and textiles. Contemporary artworks by Michael Craig Martin, Edmund de Waal, Natasha Daintry and Felicity Aylieff – artists actively collected and commissioned by the Duke and Duchess – are shown alongside historic art from the Devonshire Collections rarely seen in public, including major works by Poussin, Rembrandt and Boltraffio.

The exhibition also includes a special section on ‘Freud at Chatsworth’ dedicated to Lucian Freud, which sees all the artist’s paintings, drawings and prints in the Devonshire Collections on display together in his centenary year. These works span the entirety of Freud’s career and include the major themes of his oeuvre: portraits of his mother, partners, friends, family, and animals. Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire, began collecting and commissioning work by Freud after the two men became friends in the late 1940s. Freud spent time at Chatsworth and in total painted six members of the 11th Duke's family over a period of 20 years.

Alexandra Hodby, Senior Curator of Programme at Chatsworth, said: “It is wonderful to bring together this group of works, which represent the span of Freud’s life, and celebrate his relationship to the Cavendish family over many years. We’re grateful to private lenders, who have allowed us to bring back two paintings which were once part of the Devonshire Collections, and reunite them with the works at Chatsworth.”

About Burning Man Project

The non-profit organization Burning Man Project produces the annual Burning Man event in Black Rock City, and works year-round to extend and facilitate the culture that has grown from the event into the larger world. Burning Man Project provides inspiration, connection, education, and grants to a creative ecosystem of builders, makers, artists, and community leaders. The non-profit develops programming in arts, education, and civic engagement based on Burning Man’s 10 Principles that people can replicate in their own communities. An ever-growing global network of individuals, organizations, and communities supports and furthers these efforts in 44 U.S. states and 37 countries around the world.

The Burning Man artists featuring at Chatsworth are: Dana Albany (San Francisco, US); Mr & Mrs Ferguson (California, US); Charles Gadeken (San Francisco, US); Arturo Gonzales (Coahuila, Mexico); Adrian Landon (New York, US); Benjamin Langholz (California, US); Randy Polumbo (New York, US); Shrine – Brent Allen Spears (Los Angeles, US); Christina Sporrong (New Mexico, US); Bryan Tedrick (California, US); Margaret Long and Orion Fredericks (California, US); Rebekah Waites (Los Angeles, US).

Funding

Radical Horizons: The Art of Burning Man at Chatsworth is supported using public funding by Arts Council England, and by Art Fund, the national fundraising charity for art.

About Sotheby’s

Established in 1744, Sotheby’s is the world’s premier destination for art and luxury. Sotheby’s promotes access, connoisseurship and preservation of fine art and rare objects through auctions and buy-now channels including private sales, e-commerce and retail. Our trusted global marketplace is supported by an industry-leading technology platform and a network of specialists spanning 40 countries and 50 categories, which include Contemporary Art, Modern and Impressionist Art, Old Masters, Chinese Works of Art, Jewellery, Watches, Wine and Spirits, and Interiors, among many others.

Inspired by creators and collectors and the transformative power of art and culture, Sotheby’s initiated the collaboration between Chatsworth and Burning Man. Sotheby’s has been a long-term Arts Partner of Chatsworth, which hosted pioneering selling exhibitions of monumental contemporary sculpture, ‘Beyond Limits’; in 2021, during the pandemic, it partnered on an auction with Burning Man to provide a platform for Burning Man artists and to help raise funds for its non-profit commitment to art. Sotheby’s felt the mutual commitment to creativity and community could form the basis of what promises to be one of the great cultural events of 2022.