
A new immersive installation has been unveiled at Fountains Abbey.
Acclaimed artist Ed Kluz’s ‘Between Chaos and Light’ will be in place inside Fountains Hall at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal from 21st June (tomorrow) until 21st December - running from the summer solstice to the winter solstice.
The exhibition invites visitors to step into a transformative experience that “bridges past and present through sound, video, and sculpture.”
Set within the surroundings of the Great Chamber, Between Chaos and Light explores a pivotal moment in British history—the transition from the Tudor to the Stuart era.
At the heart of the installation is a monumental central sculpture, surrounded by immersive video and soundscapes that envelop visitors in a sensory journey.
The piece is a meditation on transformation, memory, and the enduring resonance of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal.
Ed Kluz said:
“This piece is about this idea of comfort in times of change and shift, When things are happening so fast you can barely get to grips with it.
“Where do we find that comfort? Where do we find that grown up voice? Where do we find that wisdom?
“Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal offers up a remarkable landscape to reflect upon. One that really speaks of the evolution of the modern age.
“Fountains Hall where my work will be displayed, has a mysterious, almost casket-like quality. It looks like a jewel box from the outside.
“It’s highly decorative and theatrical and very performative in its architectural language.”
Kluz’s multidisciplinary practice—spanning painting, printmaking, sculpture, and digital media—draws from archival materials, architectural history, and cultural memory.
His work encourages reflection on how we perceive and value the past, and how those perceptions shape our collective identity.
The exhibition is housed on the first floor of Fountains Hall, a building steeped in its own layered history.
Once the site of a manorial court and later a Catholic chapel, the Hall embodies the very themes of transition and continuity that Kluz explores in his work.
There will also be additional information about the inspiration behind the installation and the links to the Hall’s history in Fountains Mill.
General Manager Justin Scully, who commissioned the piece, said:
“I’m thrilled to be working with Ed Kluz on this wonderful installation.
“Ed has beautifully represented the moments of peace and tranquillity and fiery chaos that make up the history of this special place.
“It’s also given us the opportunity to open the Great Chamber to visitors for the first time in forty years.”
Between Chaos and Light is open daily 11am – 3pm from 21 June to 21 December 2025 and is free to view with normal admission.
Find out more about the Exhibitions at Fountains Abbey | Yorkshire | National Trust online.