Huge tracker beams and the eerie clang of synthesizers might not be what you’d expect to find on the lawns of Blenheim Palace. But a new era is dawning at the august, historic establishment. Situated 60 miles west of London and home to the dukes of Marlborough since 1722, the British stately home is embracing a new future at the forefront of contemporary art.

The Duke's son, Lord Edward Spencer-Churchill, commissioned the hypnotic work of Turkish artist Memo Akten while also preparing for the opening of the Blenheim Art Foundation's inaugural show by China's master of artistic mischief Ai Weiwei. The launch coincided with Spencer-Churchill's 40th birthday, and was rumored to feature a who's who of the art and fashion worlds, including Kate Moss and assorted Delevingnes.



“You could see it miles away,” says Akten of the latest in his Simple Harmonic Motion series, which helped launch the 'Foundation this month. “We had tweets from the neighbors. I loved that.”

Spencer-Churchill hopes to make “Simple Harmonic Motion 11” just the first in a series of future commissions. His intention is to put the Palace at the vanguard of a new era of artistic patronage, a champion of the most innovative and forward-thinking creative minds. “I saw a mock-up of Memo's work and thought it would look amazing,” he said, after the dust had settled on the opening night. “But I was stunned by the final production. There was a significant element of surprise. I don’t know how much electricity it used—but we didn’t blow any fuses!”

Tom Horan is Culture Editor-at-Large at NOWNESS.