See Why Hauser & Wirth Gallery Is Exploring New Ways Of Exhibiting Visual Art

Art is being released from the confines of the white cube gallery space and taking on a more experiential journey. Traditionalists may argue that some galleries are turning the visual arts into a bit of a spectacle and thus running the risk of becoming more of an amusement park than a cultural space. But viewed in another way, unorthodox gallery spaces and experimental curational ideas can set culture free to be explored and experienced in new and exciting ways and by a public way beyond the original borders. A little sense of play could even entice regular gallery visitors to see certain art differently.

Leading commercial gallery Hauser & Wirth feels there is a place to explore new spaces and use these to challenge the artist and expand the narrative of art. Founded in 1992 and with numerous traditional galleries across the world, in 2014, Hauser & Wirth decided to open a space that combines art, food and drink, architecture and nature, with a garden designed by Piet Oudolf and a pavilion by Smiljan Radić to host events. And all on the site of a derelict farm in Somerset, in the heart of the English countryside. The success of this adventurous outpost led to the opening of another unusual gallery space in the Arts District of downtown Los Angeles, and in 2021 Hauser & Wirth opened on the tiny island of Illa del Rei in the Mahon harbor on Minorca in Spain.

Visiting the Minorcan gallery last year, I marveled at how it has become a destination. It attracts a young crowd who come here as much for the art as the fun journey across the harbor in dedicated water taxis, the delicious food and wine, a dip in the Mediterranean and unforgettable sunsets.

Meanwhile, an exhibition at Somerset last summer also showed how these spaces could help create a unique dialogue with the audience and the art, even artists of the canon whose work can find new meaning simply due to location. “Henry Moore: Sharing Form” couldn’t have happened elsewhere as the focus was his love for Stonehenge and this prehistoric monument’s impact on his work. Driving to the gallery from London past Stonehenge created a visceral connection with Moore’s journey to sculpture. The space and location added a fundamental layer to the exhibition which would have been lost anywhere else.

With “GRUPPENAUSSTELLUNG” — a group exhibition celebrating the gallery’s Swiss heritage — opening at Hauser & Wirth Somerset, I took the opportunity to speak with Neil Wenman, partner and global creative director, to understand the impact of this way of presenting art on the artist, the viewer and the gallery.

Why did the gallery venture into new ways of exhibiting in unexpected spaces?

(Gallery founders) Iwan and Manuela Wirth were interested in how we could create a different gallery model to interact with the artist and visitors in new ways. Our first project in Somerset questioned how we present work and who we present to, which allowed us great freedom to rewrite the concept for ourselves.

We took the formula when we opened our space in Los Angeles. Here also offers a unique environment and a different culture and temperature. We realized quickly that these spaces help us think about what excites the artists in terms of space and what can challenge them. And it has generally excited the artists.

It’s interesting to hear that the artist was the starting point of the discussion, with these spaces almost organically growing from that conversation. You could sense this with the work of Rashid Johnson, “Sodade,” at Hauser & Wirth Menorca last summer, where his body of work responded to the space and the concept of islanders. On the one hand, the work would not have existed without this unique space and location, and on the other, it’s hard to imagine the work having such an impact if shown in a standard white cube urban gallery space.

Yes absolutely. The artist residency program in Somerset was set up at the same time as the gallery, and in the last nine years, artists have come to the studio and cottage, staying and working on location. This model became a barometer for what was possible in providing new ways of interacting with artists. These spaces are slightly off the track, and through the residency programs, artists can escape and focus on their work.

How have these spaces impacted the gallery and its programs?

They allow for a great sense of freedom, as you can see with the current Somerset exhibition. Another benefit is that visitors have mostly traveled here specifically, so they will spend more time and focus on the art. It has helped us think about the role of education as a gallery and concepts of learning and inclusivity.

What has been the response from the artists, and are there generational factors?

We’ve certainly found it’s a huge draw for our artists who want to be involved. I don’t think it’s necessarily generational but rather more about the artist’s own ambitions.

Do you feel as a commercial gallery, you have more freedom and the agility to try out new and experimental programs?

Yes, definitely. It gives us a certain freedom, allows us to be very flexible and make last-minute decisions if needed.

How far can this way of engaging with art be pushed without art becoming superficial entertainment and the gallery space an amusement park? In other words, how do you balance the act of being educational but entertaining?

It depends on the exhibition. Some are more academic; they look at a specific body of work and require much more curatorial expertise than others. Then these new approaches or environments can open up the possibility of engaging with the arts, giving a sense of how art can reflect on different core subject matters, whether sustainability or the human condition.

A group show will depend on the curatorship. A good example is our current show in Minorca (“Come In From An Endless Place”). It is more of a conceptual practice, with younger-generation artists looking at broader themes of what it means to be from the Mediterranean. These group shows can have a lot more humor, even satire, and they often involve artists we may not represent.

Hauser & Wirth is involved in philanthropic and learning activities to highlight art’s potential in education, healing, and mental health. How pivotal is this to the gallery’s ethos, and how does this relate to these new gallery spaces?

We do many learning programs with the gallery and with schools with special interest groups. We work closely with communities and hospitals, putting contemporary art into mental health units, into different spaces and realms, to understand the benefits. Hopefully, all these aspects give a broader consensus about what contemporary art can do — its purpose.

What has been the response to these new gallery spaces?

Last year we had our millionth visitor to Somerset. It is a whole new audience, which is very important to us and the artists. You know, these spaces are part of our philosophy. When breaking the rules, sometimes there are multiple interpretations at first. But once the concepts are at their visualization stage, and one starts to see the possibilities, it becomes even more exciting.

There is room for play, and we should be able to create a space for this. And you can have an underlying conception and communicate big ideas through play and irreverence. The Somerset summer exhibition is about play. It is about experiencing art differently, ways in which we hope to open up the audience to relax and then walk away with a different perspective.

‘GRUPPENAUSSTELLUNG’ is at Hauser & Wirth Somerset until January 1, 2024.

Read about the 2023 Serpentine Pavilion by architect Lina Ghotmeh, the Serpentine Gallery’s “Tomás Saraceno in Collaboration: Web[s] of Life,” Cao Fei at Sprüth Magers, Isaac Julian at Tate Britain, Steve McQueen’s “Grenfell” at Serpentine Galleries, “Rites of Passage” at Gagosian London, and Leonardo Drew at Yorkshire Sculpture Park.