Somerset
Occupying a former farmstead in Bruton, Hauser & Wirth Somerset is home to a vibrant program of art exhibitions, events, learning activities and artists’ residencies, which connect with the local community and landscape.
On View This Fall
‘Phyllida Barlow. unscripted,’ curated by Frances Morris, is on view through 5 January 2025.
Exhibitions are free to attend. No advance booking necessary. Read our visitor guide for more information.
CHRISTMAS OPENING HOURS
The gallery and garden will be closed from 23 December through 27 December. We will re-open on 28 December 2024 through 5 January 2025.
Plan Your Visit
The garden is open Wednesday – Sunday, 10 am – 4 pm
The gallery is open Thursday – Sunday, 12 – 4 pm
The gallery is open for group visits Tuesday – Friday. Email hwsomersetlearning@hauserwirth.com for learning groups and somerset@hauserwirth.com for general inquiries
Da Costa is open Wednesday – Sunday from 12 pm
Roth Bar is open Thursday – Sunday from 10 am
Farm Shop is open 7 days a week from 9 am
The gallery and garden will be closed 23 December – 27 December
The gallery and garden will be open 28 December 2024 – 5 January 2025
The gallery and garden will be closed 6 January – 7 February 2025
By Train
Our nearest train station is Bruton which is less than a 10 minute walk to the gallery via our community allotments.
Entrance to the gallery and garden is free, however we invite visitors to donate to local charities who are doing fantastic work within our community. Our 2024 – 2025 charity partner is Good Company Bruton.
Hauser & Wirth Somerset offer a range of group visits Tuesday – Friday. Pre-booking is required for all group visits, at least three weeks in advance. Find out more about our learning groups, including schools, universities and community groups here, or email hwsomersetlearning@hauserwirth.com. For any other inquiries about group visits, including garden groups, please email somerset@hauserwirth.com.
There is a car park on site, with space for coaches, as well as a dedicated space for wheelchair parking, providing easy access to the gallery, garden, Roth Bar, Da Costa and Farm Shop.
We have several electric vehicle charging points in our car park. Please note that the EV chargers require visitors to use their own cable.
All areas are accessible for wheelchair users, however please ask our front desk team if you require additional assistance. We have gender neutral and disabled toilets on site.
We welcome families to explore the gallery and garden, but ask that you do not touch or climb on the sculptures, or pick the flowers and plants. We have two ponds so children must be supervised at all times.
We have an outdoor kennel area with water bowls in the car park, where dogs are welcome to wait. Please note these are unsupervised. We cannot permit dogs into the galleries, bookshop, garden or Da Costa, unless they are assistance dogs. They are welcome in the Farm Shop and Roth Bar on leads, as well as the farmyard area.
Read our visitor guide for more information.
What’s On in Somerset?
Oudolf Field
Piet Oudolf, the internationally renowned landscape designer from the Netherlands, has designed the landscaping scheme for the entire site, including Oudolf Field—a large perennial meadow situated behind the gallery buildings.
Carefully shaped and planted, the garden echoes the tradition of classical gardens, but the variety of species and combination of plants creates a looseness, softening the formality of its appearance. Known for his use of plants with spectacular seed heads, Oudolf has created a garden that has interest year round.
At the top of Oudolf Field sits the Radić Pavilion. Designed by Chilean architect Smiljan Radić, it was installed at Hauser & Wirth Somerset in March 2015, following its unveiling the previous year as the Serpentine Gallery 2014 Pavilion.
Entrance is free, although we encourage visitors to donate to our 2024 – 2025 charity partner, Good Company Bruton.
In Residence: Michaela Yearwood-Dan
Welcoming Michaela Yearwood-Dan as our artist-in-residence until Wednesday 27 November 2024.
Based in London, UK, Yearwood-Dan’s multidisciplinary practice yields large-scale paintings, sculptural works, drawings and murals in sensuous palettes that invite viewers along on the artist’s journey of personal introspection through abstraction. She employs a range of techniques to conjure coruscating color and energetic form, drawing on personal experiences and her British Caribbean heritage to explore her own identity.
Roth Bar & Da Costa
Roth Bar is a fully functioning, site-specific artwork within the Threshing Barn at Hauser & Wirth Somerset, to mark the 10-year anniversary of our opening.
Created by artist Oddur Roth, grandson of the late German-born Swiss artist Dieter Roth, the bar is a dynamic and changing installation, composed of salvaged materials and objects from reclamation yards in the surrounding area, inspired by the history of Durslade Farm.
Drawing inspiration from the surrounding West Country, and ingredients and suppliers in Somerset, our team have curated a list of cocktails, beers, spirits and soft drinks deeply rooted in the South West. This includes wine from our vineyard, cider from our orchards and juices and cordials made with produce from our walled garden. Our food menu features beef from our farm, and we work closely with local farmers, gamekeepers and gardeners to use the freshest British produce with a focus on ethical sourcing and sustainability.
Roth Bar is open Thursday – Sunday from 10 am.
Da Costa is inspired by Iwan Wirth’s maternal grandfather, who originated from the small mountainous village of Rivamonte Agordino in the Veneto region of Northern Italy. He emigrated to Switzerland in the early 20th Century, where he opened a small restaurant, much loved for its simple, honest fare.
A century later, and some 800 miles from that first restaurant, Da Costa continues this culinary adventure, using freshly grown, seasonal ingredients from Durslade Farm and the surrounding area to create dishes blending the best of both worlds: quintessential Englishness with Italian flair.
Long-time collaborator and architectural practice Laplace helped bring Da Costa to life, through the reimagining of the 74-cover restaurant space built by Bruton-based locals Rob and Sam Morse.
Da Costa is open Wednesday – Sunday from 12 pm.
Farm Shop & Farmhouse
Farm Shop celebrates the best growers, farmers and makers that Somerset has to offer, as well as the produce from the surrounding Durslade Farm.
It is passionate about promoting and sharing local talent, supporting small projects with big futures and working with established producers to create special products that you can only find in the Farm Shop. With its own in-house forager and butcher, the Farm Shop showcases truly seasonal produce.
Farm Shop is open 7 days a week from 9 am.
The six bedroom renovated farmhouse is available for private stays, featuring a number of artworks and site-specific installations by our artists. Durslade Farmhouse is located on the site of Hauser & Wirth Somerset and forms part of a group of Grade II listed buildings that date back from as early as 1760.
Renovated by Argentinian architect Luis Laplace, the farmhouse is full of character and bold innovative twists. It celebrates the natural antiquity of the building by combining original fittings with unexpected interiors and vintage furniture. It is completed by unique artworks from Hauser & Wirth’s artists, including a specially commissioned painted mural in the dining room by Guillermo Kuitca.
Learning at Somerset
Hauser & Wirth Somerset has a rich and varied learning program that creates a dialogue between art, artists and a diverse audience. The gallery offers opportunities open to schools, colleges, universities and general members of the public. Find out more about learning group visits to Hauser & Wirth Somerset here.
Hauser & Wirth Somerset supports, collaborates and works in partnership with many local institutions, businesses and organizations. Our founders Iwan & Manuela Wirth live locally and are patrons of a number of charities. Their charitable giving is focused on art, architecture, conservation, learning and community.
Latest News
Somerset Education Lab Hosts ‘School Without Walls’
In October 2024, Hauser & Wirth Somerset hosted ‘School Without Walls,’ which welcomed students from a local school to take up residence in the Education Lab ‘Open Art School.’ In collaboration with Bath Spa University, a week of creative and inquiry-based learning took place at the gallery to realise an open, accessible and imaginative creative environment, taking inspiration from the exhibition ‘Phyllida Barlow. unscripted.’
‘Learning Exchange: Art Education Matters’ Comes to Somerset
On Thursday 19 September 2024, the Learning Exchange traveled to Somerset for a day of conversations highlighting interdisciplinary approaches to learning, led by artists, educators, museum and gallery professionals. The 2024 iteration marked Hauser & Wirth Somerset’s 10th anniversary of learning programs and partnerships, supporting access to contemporary art and artists.
Our New Somerset Charity Partner
Since 2014, the gallery has partnered with 14 charitable organizations, institutions and local businesses across the South West of England. Each year, a new local charity is supported through visitor entrance donations and community events. From July 2024 – June 2025, we are supporting Good Company Bruton, a not-for-profit set up by and for the local community.
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About Somerset
Hauser & Wirth Somerset is a pioneering world-class contemporary art gallery and multipurpose arts, education and community destination.
Behind the gallery there is a landscaped garden, designed by Piet Oudolf, which includes a changing program of outdoor sculptures and houses the Radić Pavilion, designed by Smiljan Radić.
Our on-site restaurant Da Costa and Roth Bar serve seasonal, locally sourced food and drink, and the Farm Shop supports farmers, growers and makers by stocking the best produce from our community.
Conservation, Learning and Sustainability
Centered around a core belief in conservation, learning and sustainability, Hauser & Wirth Somerset offers a wide variety of events including talks, seminars, workshops and screenings, as well as an extensive learning program for local schools, young people and families. We also have a bookshop and dedicated learning room on site.
Restoration and Awards
Prior to the gallery opening in 2014, the Grade II listed farm buildings remained derelict for several decades, until they were sensitively restored and renovated by Paris-based architectural firm Laplace and local architects benjamin+beauchamp.
Hauser & Wirth Somerset has been awarded both a RIBA South West Award 2015 and Civic Trust 2015 Award. In 2014, Durslade Farmhouse also won the William Stansell Historic Buildings Award.
Make Hauser & Wirth Somerset
A destination for contemporary making and the crafted object, located on Bruton High Street, a 10-minute walk from the main site. Since its launch in 2018, the gallery has presented work by over 80 artist-makers, providing valuable insights into the working processes and rich narratives of their practices. To coincide with the diverse and collaborative exhibition program, the gallery hosts residencies, talks, workshops and community events.
Visit ‘The Shape of Here’ and ‘Prophetic Land’ until Sunday 5 January 2025.