A new contemporary art exhibition at Nottingham Castle looks at the artist’s fascination with trees, forests, and woodland.
Forests are inspirational, fuelling human imagination for centuries.
The ancient forest of Sherwood Forest, or “Shire-Wood”, is synonymous with Nottingham’s worldwide identity, and home to the legendary Major Oak, believed to be over 1,000 years old.
FOREST is an exhibition that delves into the myth and magic of arboreal art, exploring how this timeless and powerful totem can shape artistic thought and creative practices.
The exhibition showcases six newly commissioned works created exclusively for Nottingham Castle, alongside artworks on loan to the City for the first time, presented in the company of prints, drawings and photographs from Nottingham’s own Collection, including the iconic, large-scale painting of the Major Oak (1882) by Nottingham-born artist Andrew MacCallum (1821-1902).
Some artists have reflected on deeply personal connections to Sherwood Forest or the Major Oak, while others take a broader perspective, exploring the essence of woodlands or their relationship with a greenwood canopy, venturing into themes of perambulation, folklore, grief and climate change.
Featured artists include: Arianne Churchman (London), Tim Fowler and Graeme Hawe (Leicester), Ashley Gallant (Lincoln), Jasper Goodall (Brighton), Jelly Green (Suffolk), Terence Lane (Nottingham), Caroline Locke (Nottingham), Tach Pollard (Buckinghamshire), Yelena Popova (Nottingham), The Window Women (Reggie Pugh and Gina Harries Pugh) (Nottingham), and Jennie Syson (Nottingham),
FOREST concludes with scientific contributions and research from specialists at the University of Nottingham who have focused on the Major Oak, which has helped inform the work of exhibiting artist Caroline Locke and is collated in a film by Georgianna Scurfield.
Nottingham City Council’s Councillor Sam Lux, Portfolio Holder for Carbon Reduction, Leisure & Culture said:
FOREST is a home-grown exhibition that is a celebration of Nottingham’s green spaces past and present, seen through the eyes of creatives. With the introduction of the Green Heart in the former Broad Marsh shopping area, along with our beautiful parks and gardens in the City and ground of the Castle itself, FOREST presents a timely reminder for us to take a pause and enjoy our wonderful places of nature. We hope it will ignite the imagination of citizens to look and enjoy the trees and woodlands around them.
There is a range of complementary family-friendly events and exhibitions that run alongside FOREST throughout the Summer, including: live window painting by the Window Women; ‘Sciryuda’ a new body of photographic works about Sherwood Forest by Terence Lane; a special ‘Under the Apple Tree’ storytelling in the bandstand; ‘Kodama’ gallery trails; Forest-themed collection displays; a sound walk by Mo Zhou that will transport you back 1,000 years; and ‘Hart of the Wood’ kinetoscopes by Benjamin Wigley at Newstead Abbey.
The exhibition is included in the admission charge, and opens to the public on Saturday 24 May and runs until Sunday 2 November.
FOREST and its programme has been curated by Nottingham City Museums & Galleries, and kindly supported by the University of Nottingham.
‘Sciryuda’ and ‘Hart of the Wood’ have been supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England
Discover more about the FOREST exhibition: www.nottinghamcastle.org.uk/forest, or plan your visit: www.nottinghamcastle.org.uk
For all visitors: Pay once, visit all year round with the ANNUAL PASS (Adult: £15), or the new ROVER ticket (Adult: £30) which gives visitors entry to all three of our Heritage sites: Wollaton Hall, Nottingham Castle and Newstead Abbey – all year round. KIDS GO FREE (15 years & under, up to three children per paying adult).