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 Summer
‘Phyllida Barlow. unscripted,’ curated by Frances Morris is on view through Sunday 5 January 2025.
Exhibitions are free to attend. No advance booking necessary.
Read our visitor guide for more information about how to plan your visit.
Plan Your Visit
The garden is open Wednesday – Sunday, 10 am – 5 pm
The gallery is open Thursday – Sunday, 12 – 5 pm
Roth Bar is open Wednesday – Sunday, 10 am – 11 pm
The Farm Shop is open 7 days a week from 9 am
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 2023 – 2024 charity partner is Bruton Community Library.
Hauser & Wirth Somerset offer a range of group visits during normal operational hours. Pre-booking is required for all group visits, at least three weeks in advance.
Find out more about our Learning groups, including schools, universities, community groups and adult learners 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 and Farm Shop.
All areas throughout the site are accessible for wheelchair users, as well as disabled toilets. However, please ask our front desk team if you require additional assistance.
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 as the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in 2014.
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 many 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.
Read our visitor guide for more information about how to plan your visit.
What’s On in Somerset?
25 May 2024 – 5 January 2025
Phyllida Barlow
unscripted
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.
Visit Wednesday – Sunday, 10 am – 5 pm. Entrance is free, although we encourage visitors to donate to our chosen charity, Bruton Community Library.
Artist-in-Residence
Taking place in parallel with Hauser & Wirth Somerset’s exhibition, ‘Phyllida Barlow. unscripted’, this summer residency will welcome guest artists Jess Flood-Paddock, Young In Hong, Jack Killick and Hamish Pearch, to spend time living and working in Somerset. Selected by curator Frances Morris, and in the spirit of Phyllida Barlow, the artists will be invited to seek inspiration from the exhibition, landscape and architecture of Somerset, as well as conversations that develop between the group.
Roth Bar, Farm Shop and Farmhouse
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.
Roth Bar is open Wednesday – Sunday, 10 am – 11 pm.
The 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.
The 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.
If you would like to find out more about options for a learning group visit to Hauser & Wirth Somerset, please click 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
Education Lab Returns to Somerset: ‘Open Art School’
Opening Saturday 25 May, our Somerset Education Lab, ‘Open Art School’, in partnership with Bath Spa University, is a space for experimentation and imagination, coinciding with the exhibition ‘Phyllida Barlow. unscripted’.
Phyllida Barlow Outdoor Sculpture Unveiled in Somerset
As part of ‘Phyllida Barlow. unscripted,’ curated by Frances Morris, a presentation of 12 sculptures are on view across all of the outdoor spaces at our Somerset gallery, including works from the artist’s PRANK series and works being shown in open air for the first time.
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.
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.
On-site restaurant serves 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.