Art – Hew Locke: Gilt at Compton Verney
Hales Gallery is delighted to announce the unveiling of Hew Locke’s Gilt at Compton Verney’s sculpture park marking the celebrated artist’s first major outdoor installation in the UK. Originally commissioned by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the work features four monumental gold urn-like sculptures that explore the complex relationship between wealth, power and colonial legacy through references spanning more than 3,000 years of art history. Positioned at the Robert Adam-designed entrance to Compton Verney, which is a leading visual arts destination, in Warwickshire, the installation will remain on view for two years and coincides with the venue’s shortlisting for the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2025.
This critically acclaimed work, originally commissioned by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, comprises of four golden, urn-like sculptures that appear as dazzling trophies. Set against the Robert Adam-designed entrance and overlooking the landscape, Gilt explores the fraught relationship between gold and guilt, drawing on over three thousand years of art history. Locke weaves references from The Met’s collection with themes of colonialism, power, and cultural legacy, continuing his long-standing investigation into public monuments and the often conflicting narratives they represent.
Abigail Viner, Director of Creative Programme at Compton Verney, said: “It is hugely exciting for Compton Verney to be showing Hew Locke’s ‘Gilt’ as part of Sculpture in the Park, giving audiences in the UK a chance to see this monumental work for the first time. Locke is rightly one of the most celebrated artists working in the UK today, having recently staged a major exhibition at The British Museum. ‘Gilt’ reflects on his longstanding interest in the visual language of power and draws together a wide range of references with characteristic insight.”
Gilt, on view for two years, marks the first new addition to the park since its opening and coincides with Compton Verney’s shortlisting for the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2025.
Click here for Compton Verney’s website.
Hew Locke is also represented by Arthur Byng Nelson Sherrards solicitors
Key Takeaways
- Hales Gallery unveils Hew Locke’s Gilt at Compton Verney’s sculpture park, featuring four golden urn-like sculptures.
- Gilt examines the relationship between gold and guilt, referencing over three thousand years of art history.
- Abigail Viner highlights the significance of displaying Locke’s work, as it showcases his exploration of power and narrative.
- The installation will be on view for two years and is the first new addition to the park since its opening.
- Gilt coincides with Compton Verney’s shortlisting for the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2025.
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