Curated by Judith King
Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens, Northumberland
1 May–26 September 2010

Woodland Unhappy Families 2010, mixed media installation commissioned for Extraordinary Measures

Leading contemporary artists were commissioned to fill the grounds and rooms at Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens, a property in the care of English Heritage near Newcastle. The exhibition Extraordinary Measures explored and played with our concept of scale, taking visitors of all ages into an Alice in Wonderland world of dark enchantment.

Extraordinary Measures is the sixth in a series of contemporary art exhibitions to be staged at Belsay. Simon Thurley, Chief Executive at English Heritage, said: “Every few years, we offer Belsay up to the cream of contemporary artists, giving them the opportunity to use the estate as a blank canvas for their imagination. New art and great heritage should not exist in separate closed-off worlds. So next summer, within the ancient rooms and beautiful gardens of Belsay, visitors will discover a universe where the miniscule is made massive and huge surroundings hide tiny surprises”. (Taken from Press Release for Extraordinary Measures, 2010)

Exhibiting alongside: Mat Collishaw, Tessa Farmer, MGA (Jenny Gillatt and Tim Mosedale), Ron Mueck, Mariele Neudecker, Slinkachu and Ciaran Treanor