HAUSER & WIRTH SOMERSET

WEBSITE: WWW.SCULPTURE.ORG.UK
LOCATION: BRUTON, UK
NEAREST AIRPORTS: 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES TRAIN FROM LONDON, 1 HOUR 20 MINUTES DRIVE FROM LONDON

Perfectly located in an ideal village in the British countryside, H&W Somerset is a glorious weekend getaway done in that H&W style. It is a converted farmhouse next to the village of Bruton, where one can enjoy the fresh air, fantastic art, extravagant feasts made of local country produce, and more. Utterly perfect.

It might be easier to list the locations that don’t have a branch of Hauser & Wirth. Undoubtedly an art world powerhouse, Hauser & Wirth represent some of the most celebrated living artists, and the estate of the most celebrated dead ones. They have expended as much physically in cities across the globe, as they have conceptually, now encroaching on what one might refer to as ‘luxury-lifestyle’. They own destination hotels, a publishing company, produce art merchandise (available also in The Conran Shop), as well as generate content online.

In Somerset, H&W have created an immersive art destination with artist residencies, exhibitions and gardens. Fully banking on the idyllic surroundings, they encourage visitors to engage with the arts and the local community. Durslade Farm is a working farm that was taken over by H&W in 2014. It still supplies the produce for the on-site restaurant, the Roth Bar and Grill.

As they have an excellent and exciting roster of artists, it is a safe bet that you will see something fun and new in the woodbeam ceiling galleries. And, as they have the budgets, you are likely to see a museum quality show on a small scale, making it approachable and the right amount of information to take in on a Sunday, before heading off to the bar.

Bruton is a lovely little village. It is elegant and country chic. If you don’t want to stay on the farm for lunch, you also have the option of At The Chapel. The gallery has most recently acquired a further space in the center of Bruton where they opened Make, a shop dedicated to high quality craft. All in all, you can see the gallery, walk around the town, eat some award winning cheddar cheese, and have a lovely weekend only one hour out of London. It is also worth checking their website for kids activities, something they invest a lot in.