Our Guest Artist

We are incredibly thrilled to announce a long awaited partnership between Covent Garden Dance and the world renowned artist Hugo Dalton.

We have wanted to work alongside Hugo Dalton for a long time and finally our schedules and energies have aligned.

For Hatch House 2023 we will be giving Hugo the freedom of the entire venue to use as his canvas. His concepts and creations are performance without constraint, his use of light as well as physical sculpture has clarity of intention and articulation. Through his process as well as his practice, the mastery of his medium is consistently evident.

Hugo Dalton is known for his diverse body of work, which includes wall paintings, sculptures, and projected light installations. His artistic approach is rooted in a deep commitment to drawing from life, resulting in artworks that exhibit a notable clarity of form. Notably, Dalton was commissioned by choreographer Christopher Wheeldon to create a stage set at Sadler's Wells, offering him an entry point into the world of dance. This opportunity paved the way for subsequent collaborations with esteemed institutions such as The Royal Opera House and Grange Park Opera.

Dalton's expertise in projected light installations has allowed him to transform familiar spaces into captivating visual experiences. Venues like the Victoria & Albert Museum, The National Gallery in London, and even Chateau Versailles in France have played host to his illuminating creations. By employing light as his medium, Dalton adds a unique dimension to these locations, offering visitors an ethereal encounter with his artworks.

Furthermore, Dalton has drawn inspiration from the surroundings of Hatch House, where he has crafted a series of illuminated outdoor sculptures that pay homage to American artist Ellsworth Kelly. Through these sculptures, Dalton explores the interplay of light, form, and space, evoking the spirit of Kelly's work while infusing it with his own artistic vision.

Critics, such as Edward Lucie-Smith, have described Dalton's work as a "rebellion towards elegance," acknowledging his tendency to challenge conventional notions of beauty and refinement while prompting viewers to contemplate the unconventional.

Hugo Dalton has exhibited widely at such institutions as the Institute of Contemporary Art, London; The National Gallery, London; Chateau Versailles for LVMH, Paris; Royal Albert Hall, London; Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Christie’s London; Royal Horticultural Society, London; Red Mansion Foundation, Beijing; Royal Opera House, London; Thirsk Hall Sculpture Park, Yorkshire, UK; Tiffany & Co., New York; Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, UK; Saatchi Studio, London; and many others.