Art Outdoors at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Maja Lorkowska, Exhibitions EditorBook now
Art Outdoors
Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.
Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) is the ultimate destination for outdoor art, with a collection of over 90 pieces across 500 acres of beautiful Yorkshire landscape. It is home to artworks from all around the world, including Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Brazil, India, South Korea, the UK and USA. Visit YSP this summer to discover the most dynamic collection of outdoor sculpture in Britain.
Explore the artwork in any way you like. You might want to stroll around the park and admire any of the pieces you come across by chance, or you could follow one of the Featured Collections themed trails.
Rainbow Adventure is all about colour, exploring the sculptures along the trail while gathering as many colours as possible. The Myths and Magic trail can inspire visitors to create their own magical tales inspired by the sculptures. Animal lovers can choose the Animal Instincts trail filled with real and imaginary creatures and pieces inspired by the patterns of the natural world. For fans of text-based art, the Art of Words trail follows a diverse set of works that feature letters, some as a statement, others more focused on the lines and shapes.
You can plan your own route through the park in advance too, using the online interactive map. As well as the pieces that have been at YSP for decades, there are works from more recent exhibitions and newer additions. Suhasini Kejriwal’s Garden of Un-Earthly Delights comprises multiple sculptures in the shape of exotic plants and succulents inspired by the artist’s home garden. Kejriwal explores the effect of technology on our perception of nature: species that were once unique and difficult to find, now seem ordinary due to the proliferation of online imagery.
You’ll also find the pink-hued Streaky Dance by Alice Irwin, a playful celebration of a body in motion inviting visitors to join in its joyful dance. Look out for Erwin Wurm’s Balzac too, a large figure of a man draped in a robe in white with bright splashes of lemon yellow.
There are so many incredible pieces of outdoor art to discover and the summer is the perfect time to make the most of YSP’s vast collection. If you can’t come for a full day, afternoon entry after 3pm is only £3 for adults. Parking is free, kids always go free too and if you’re planning more than one visit you could grab a Summer Visitor Pass. Take a look at the YSP website to learn more and book your tickets now.
