Antony Gormley’s exhibition at Houghton Hall features 100 life-size iron sculptures of the artist’s form, spread across 300 acres in Norfolk, UK. Most figures are partially buried or on plinths up to four meters high, all aligned horizontally to highlight the land’s contours and offer diverse views of the figures.
Gormley’s Time Horizon is a conceptual art installation that connects viewers to geological time and human impact through its enigmatic figures. Enhanced by natural elements like morning mist, birdsong, and the scent of mown grass, the artwork’s atmosphere is further enriched by the sculptures’ orange rust and bird droppings.
This is the first UK exhibition of a piece originally presented in southern Italy in 2006. The Norfolk figures were cast from 23 molds over a year, and the installation, which took five months to complete, opened in spring. Gormley, who has a nearby house, recalls his return to full-body casting after 18 years, moving away from digital scans.
Houghton Hall, built in 1722 by Britain’s first prime minister Sir Robert Walpole, is compared by Gormley to the “English Versailles.” Unlike traditional statues, which are static, Gormley’s 640 kg iron figures engage with the landscape and invite contemplation, aiming to “interrogate the surface of things.”
The site was carefully surveyed, with figures intentionally placed to avoid facing each other. Influenced by Buddhist meditation, Gormley’s figures are designed for stillness, enhancing the viewer’s reflective experience as subtle variations become apparent while moving through the garden.
Antony Gormley, the 1994 Turner Prize winner and 2014 knight, challenges classical sculpture’s focus on power and ideal beauty. Famous for works like “Angel of the North” and installations such as “Another Place” and “Event Horizon,” Gormley’s sculptures, cast from his own body, reflect the human condition rather than representing himself. His art explores the body as a site of feeling and experience, not as a symbol or icon.
Magdalene Odundo’s ceramics are featured in a separate exhibition on-site, each exhibition making its own distinct impact. Odundo’s terracotta vase contrasts vividly with the Chinese porcelain cranes, highlighting the tactile connection between clay and the human form. Her work incorporates symbols of enslavement, abolitionist Josiah Wedgwood, writer Olaudah Equiano, and a Kenyan protestor, bridging past and present and enriching the ongoing conversation at the stately home.
