Phyllida Barlow's Sculptures Disrupt Wolterton's Palladian Order

Phyllida Barlow's posthumous exhibition at Wolterton Hall in Norfolk, open from 20 May to 31 October 2026, contrasts her precarious, everyday materials with the historic house's permanence. Guest-curated by Clare Lilley, former director of Yorkshire Sculpture Park, the show features sculptures from 1986 to 2021, including 'untitled: stackedchairs 2014' crammed under a cantilevered stone staircase and a forest of works in the Marble Hall. The Portrait Room displays drawings from 1977 to the 2020s, studies for her 2017 Venice Biennale British Pavilion. Outside, 'PRANK: jinx 2022-23' is a monumental steel piece with upturned tables and a fibreglass form, part of her final completed series. Wolterton's artistic director Simon Oldfield leads the programme, now in its second year after the Ellis family purchased the 1724 Thomas Ripley-designed house in 2024. The exhibition also features Daisy Parris, following last year's pairing of Maggi Hambling and Ro Robertson.