The late great land artist Nancy Holt (1938-2014) had a remarkable ability to think on a universal scale, using her work to place humanity in a cosmic context. Now, the Goodwood Art Foundation in West Sussex hosts the biggest UK exhibition of her work to date, set within an expansive, lush estate in the rolling countryside.
Outdoor Installations: Breathing and Stargazing
Two major sculptural installations are placed around the grounds. The first, Ventilation System, features a huge metallic mechanism poking out of the vegetation near the main gallery. Large tubular aluminium pipes, all interconnected, snake their way around the area and back into the building. Holt aimed to expose the hidden structures of our built environment, but the work feels more bodily — like the building's lungs, bringing in life and expelling harmful gases. Ventilation is usually hidden, but here it is brought into the open, reminding us that buildings breathe just like we do.
Heading through an idyllic meadow into a gleaming white chalk quarry, visitors encounter Hydra's Head: six small concrete pools filled with water, arranged like the head of the Hydra constellation. From above, they appear as dark abysses, black holes that suck up the light. But up close, the water reflects trees, birds, the sky, and your own face. It is a portrait of you in the universe, capturing vastness and your place within it.
Indoor Works: Mixed Success
The rest of the exhibition is housed in the main gallery, featuring photographs, diagrams, and poems. As is often the case with land artists, these indoor pieces struggle to match the power of the outdoor works. One series documents waymarkers on stones and gates in the countryside — little coloured dots on rocks, like tiny minimalist paintings. Another series depicts an English forest where Holt buried a poem for her partner Robert Smithson, with instructions to find it, but only photos of wet ferns are shown.
Other photos see Holt “drawing” with light and shadow, making black-and-white curves and lines with slits in paper. They are pretty but a little dull. A light installation shines a spotlight on mirrors, tracing elliptical reflections across the wall. Her Sun Tunnels — massive concrete cylinders in the Utah desert that channel sunlight — are documented in photos. These works are nice but fail to communicate her ideas of universal vastness and interconnectedness as effectively as the outdoor pieces.
Conclusion
If the exhibition had been bolder and filled the grounds with Holt works on the same scale as Hydra's Head or Ventilation System, it would be stunning. As it is, it does not think big enough. Nonetheless, the outdoor installations offer cosmic thrills and elemental engagement. Nancy Holt is at Goodwood Art Foundation from 2 May until 1 November.
