The mind-blowing new exhibition at Sculpture by the Lakes in Dorchester

Step into a world of pure imagination at FORM. The Sculpture Exhibition, a new open-air exhibition at Sculpture by the Lakes featuring a stunning variety of works by over 30 top sculptors, including Simon Gudgeon, Adam Binder and Philip Jackson.

The exhibition is running from April 1st to May 16th.

Adam Binder’s 12ft two-tonne monumental bronze polar bear floating on an ‘iceberg’ in one of the lakes (Image: Adam Binder / Sculpture by the Lakes)

With commercial galleries shut until mid-April, most exhibitions in the past year have been made virtual, which unfortunately creates a barrier between the viewer and the art, as it's hard to feel the emotion that radiates off of a piece through a screen.

However, art aficionados can rejoice at the prospect of discovering the wonderful array of outdoor sculptures crafted by a brilliant global selection of talented sculptures darted over the park’s stunning 26-acre landscape of lakes, rivers, gardens, and woodlands.

The Grandees by legendary British sculptor Philip Jackson features two operatic figures sitting on a bench in one of two works to be found within the sculpture park. (Image: Phillip Jackson / Sculpture by the Lakes)

This exciting event has been created and curated by Simon Gudgeon, an acclaimed sculptor and the owner and founder of Sculpture by the Lakes at Pallington near Dorchester.

Simon Gudgeon said, “It is rare, especially in a post-Covid world, for people to have the opportunity to see so many and such a rich variety of artworks, together in one space – and that is what we have achieved here, taking full advantage of all our acreage and this idyllic setting. This is a true celebration of sculpture and nature and the relationship between the two.”

“It was no mean feat bringing together so many artists and so many incredible works of art from across the UK and even further afield – but the result is even better than we had envisioned. We have had incredible feedback already from our visitors, and to see them interacting with and experiencing the sculptures has been hugely satisfying. After the year we’ve had, people are finding this event all the more uplifting and transformative.”

Master of detail Nick Bibby has many works to be found at the new exhibition, including this exquisitely crafted bronze piece Orangutan, Old Man of the Forest. (Image: Nick Bibby / Sculpture by the Lakes)

Tickets for FORM – The Sculpture Exhibition are £12.50. Due to the scale and space of this outdoor venue, social distancing is very easy to maintain, and it will be further supported by reduced and capped visitor numbers.

Tickets must be booked in advance and visitors will be required to maintain a safe distance from staff and other visitors. Sculpture by the Lakes is already experienced in operating public events with Covid-safe measures in place, having put on the hugely successful Dorset Arts Festival last July.

For more information, visit https://www.gallerybythelakes.co.uk/form