YORKSHIRE SCULPTURE PARK
What’s the appeal? It’s hard to conceive that YSP was considered a blot on the landscape when it opened in 1977, with land, money and public support all in perilously short supply. Almost 50 years later, the pairing of powerful works by the world’s top sculptors and 500 acres of rolling countryside has proved an irresistible premise – where else can you share a contemplative moment over a Henry Moore with wandering sheep? Efforts to expand and evolve have brought renewed appreciation for the park. Don’t miss the meditative Skyspace by James Turrell, who added an aperture open to the heavens within the park’s Grade II-listed deer shelter, and 2019’s much-anticipated addition The Weston, which houses a gallery, restaurant and shop. What’s on? Featuring more than 50 female sculptors, from Barbara Hepworth to Rachel Whiteread, ‘Breaking the Mould: Sculpture by Women since 1945’ (1 April-13 June) will go some way in elevating post-war works by women to their rightful status. The schedule will follow this thematic thread through the season, with exhibitions of porcelain figures piled high by Rachel Kneebone, objects by multidisciplinary artist Alison Milner and colourful tapestries and totemic pieces by Annie Morris. Towering outdoor works by Damien Hirst and Joana Vasconcelos are on display until next year.
What’s nearby? As the birthplace of both Hepworth and Moore, it seems only right that this corner of the country has flourished into a world-leading destination for sculpture. The nearby Hepworth Wakefield will mark its 10th anniversary in May with ‘Barbara Hepworth: Art & Life’, which is set to be her most comprehensive retrospective yet (hepworthwakefield.org). Over in buzzy Leeds, the Henry Moore Institute will showcase works that ‘fold up, pack down, or dismantle’ in ‘Portable Sculpture’ (henry-moore.org).