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Mount Stuart Trust reveals the past and the present, outside and in

May 2019

An exhibition revealing rarely seen artefacts from Scotland's best known monarch, and a major outdoor commission from an iconic Scottish artist are set to put The Mount Stuart Trust in the spotlight this summer.

Opening in May, The Bute Collection: Mary, Queen of Scots, and Martin Boyce: An Inn For Phantoms Of The Outside And In will inspire locals, visitors, and those with an interest in Scottish history and Contemporary Visual Arts.

Mary, Queen of Scots is the first in a new series of exhibitions uncovering rarely seen material from the Bute Collection, one of the UK's foremost collections of art and artefacts. Held in the Purple Library at Mount Stuart House, the exhibition features a diverse range of artwork, objects, manuscripts and books exploring the facts and fiction surrounding Scotland's best known monarch.

Mary Stuart (1542-1587) is one of history's most compelling and controversial characters. At the centre of the exhibition is an original manuscript containing Sir Robert Wingfield of Upton's captivating eye witness account of Mary's execution in February, 1587. Outstanding amongst several surviving drafts, the manuscript is the most comprehensive description of the monarch's final hours. Other items never previously shown in public include: intriguing 'relics'- objects said to have belonged to Mary; portraits of the Queen; a copy of the Proclamation of Guilt issued by Elizabeth I; and Marian literature ranging from the 16th to the 20th century in several European languages. The exhibition is completed by the first ever 'Hollywood' film made about Mary – an 18-second long silent film, produced by Thomas Edison in 1895. The film was also the first of its kind to use special effects in order to depict the Queen's decapitation.

Mount Stuart Trust is also delighted to announce a solo exhibition by Martin Boyce, the Turner Prize-winning Scottish sculptor, this summer. Boyce presents an immersive outdoor commission in the landscaped grounds of Mount Stuart, inspired by the memory of a tennis court long since dismantled. The artist's ongoing interest in abandoned and disused spaces is awakened, as he reconsiders and recomposes the structure of the court, connecting with previous works such as the iconic 2002 Tramway installation Our Love is Like the Flowers, the Rain, the Sea and the Hours. Boyce's installation for Mount Stuart involves fragments of these landscapes in an abstracted sense of place rather than a literal description: "one place shipwrecked within another."

The installation, like a skewed container for dreams, sits with its gate open. The artist's familiar iconographies are staged within, referencing his interests in twentieth century film noir, literature and the built environment. Boyce's work mirrors the psyche; his work immerses the public in both personal and collective cultural memory.

The Bute Collection: Mary, Queen of Scots runs from 2nd May – 27th October 2019 with a daily tour at 2pm.

Martin Boyce: An Inn For Phantoms Of The Outside And In will run from 26th May – 18th November 2019.

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