Top 10 Artworks at Blenheim Palace

The new art exhibition 'Michelangelo Pistoletto at Blenheim Palace' opened on 15 September and will be on show until 31 December. With artworks both inside the Palace and outside in the Formal Gardens, the influential Italian artist's  installations have taken over the Oxfordshire World Heritage Site.

1              Third Paradise in the Great Hall

The Third Paradise is a giant representation of the mathematical infinity sign, wrapped in colourful rags. Since the creation of the Third Paradise Project in 2003, Pistoletto has reworked it in various sizes and media; from fleeting representations traced in sand, to installations using coloured bottle lids, olive trees, aluminium and fabric structures placed outside.

2              Trumpets of Judgement in the Red Drawing Room

The Trumpets of Judgement are a trio of aluminium horns of giant proportions, inspired by the megaphones used by Mussolini to address the public at rallies during Michelangelo's childhood. Their large size echoes fascism's forceful authority over its people.

3              Globe in the Green Writing Room

Created using British newspapers featuring the 2016 EU Referendum, Globe doesn't distinguish countries and continents, but instead presents the world as a homogenous, unified surface.

4              Love Difference – Mediterranean Sea in the Saloon

Don't miss the long mirrored table shaped like the Mediterranean basin in the Saloon. The chairs around it symbolise its bordering countries which Pistoletto gathers around their common sea; encouraging discussion and exchange rather than borders and insularity.

5              Miraggio in the Upper Water Terraces

A new work, made especially for the exhibition at Blenheim, it features a gleaming gold car, almost entirely submerged in the waters of the Palace fountain. The car is a 1990s VW Polo and the colour is inspired by the colour of the balls perched atop the Palace, which vanish and re-appear according to the viewer's position in the Formal Gardens.

6              The Fall in the Lower Water Terraces

Discover a giant sculpture which has 'fallen over' in the Lower Water Terraces. Both the title of the work, and the figure, suggest the end of a reign, as if the statue has been pulled down off its pedestal like those of overthrown dictators.

7              The Etruscan on the South Front

Explore ancient Italy with The Etruscan statues, copies of L'Arringatore (“The Orator”), a bronze statue that was recovered from Lake Trasimeno, Italy in 1566. The Etruscans were an ancient culture occupying central Italy until they were fully absorbed into Roman culture at the end of the second century B.C.

8              Venus of the Rags in the Chapel

Discover an icon of Classical high art and culture meeting modern-day consumer waste, in the form of a giant pile of rags.

9              Bundle of Canvas in the First State Room

Painted canvasses are bound together with string in the First State Room. Bundles are symbolic in Italian culture; representing strength in unity, but also discipline and punishment. Pistoletto brings this to life using brightly painted canvasses in place of chopped wood.

10           Dog in the Mirror in the South Corridor

The only dog to be allowed within the Palace State Rooms! Find Dog in the Mirror in the South Corridor. A plaster dog gazes at its own reflection in one of Pistoletto's signature mirror artworks.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

• Opening times and ticket pricing applies
• Blenheim Palace is a member of the Green Tourism Business Scheme.
• Blenheim Palace is a member of the Treasure Houses of England, 10 of the most magnificent palaces, stately homes and castles in England www.treasurehouses.co.uk

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