The best of this year's summer exhibitions

ANNA TOMLINSON HAS FOUND ALL OF THE BEST SUMMER ART, SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO

Last week Pi took a look at “The best of this summer’s theatres, festivals and shows.”  This week, Pi Arts is here to give you an overview of some of the most interesting arts exhibitions across the country.

GRAYSON PERRY, A HOUSE FOR ESSEX

Wrabness, Essex

Designed by FAT Architecture and Turner Prize winning contemporary artist Grayson Perry, the holiday home A House for Essex simultaneously blends in and stands out among the trees and fields of Essex. The design reminds visitors of pilgrimage chapels, but the interior is kitsch, loud and colourful; the house tells its own story of contemporary art. It’s definitely not your usual country cottage.

If you don’t get a chance to travel to Essex, you can also see the House in the Channel 4 documentary Grayson Perry’s Dream House.

JAMES TURRELL, LIGHTSCAPE AT HOUGHTON HALL

Until 24th October 2015. King’s Lynn, Norfolk

James Turrell is celebrated for his works which play with light and space, and this summer his works are being showcased at Houghton Hall in Norfolk. This exhibition in the middle of the English countryside, features the immense site-specific installation, The Illumination, which is a light show on the western façade of the house.

CARLOS AMORLES, YEAR OF MEXICO IN THE UK AT TURNER CONTEMPORARY

Until 6th Sep 2015. Margate, Kent

The Mexican and the British government have labelled 2015 as the Year of Mexico in the UK. As part of this celebration of cultures, Turner Contemporary in Kent is exhibiting the works of Carlos Amorles, a contemporary Mexican-born artist. A highlight of the show is We Will See How Everything Reverberates (2012) an installation of 30 cymbals, which visitors are encouraged to play. And how often are you encouraged to make noise in an art exhibition?

YVES SAINT LAURENT: STYLE IS ETERNAL AT THE BOWES MUSEUM 

Until 25th October 2015. Newgate, Barnard Castle, Durham

This collaboration between the Bowes Museum and the Fondation Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent is the first UK exhibition to focus on the designer’s life and work. Yves Saint Laurent is said to have empowered women with his fashion, and his designs are also interesting in their references to various contemporary artists. There are over 5,000 garments and 15,000 accessories in the show, offering plenty of inspiration for next fall’s new university year wardrobe.