Prepare to be mesmerized this summer as Waddesdon Manor unveils an extraordinary new work by celebrated Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos. Opening on June 8, 2023, at The Dairy, Wedding Cake is a monumental sculptural pavilion that stands an impressive 12 meters high. Resembling a three-tiered wedding cake, this fully immersive masterpiece is entirely clad in ceramic tiles.

Commissioned by the Rothschild Foundation for Waddesdon, Wedding Cake is the result of a five-year collaboration inspired by the relationship between visionary collector Lord Rothschild and Vasconcelos. Part sculpture and part architectural garden folly, Wedding Cake combines the worlds of pastry and architecture in a captivating manner. With its gleaming and icing-like exterior, the sculpture offers visitors an intricate and sensory experience. Adorned in pale pinks, greens, and blues, it features sculptural ornamentation and is accompanied by the soothing sounds of trickling water and a site-specific lighting scheme. Described by Vasconcelos as “a temple to love,” Wedding Cake celebrates festivity and marriage, making it her most ambitious commission to date.

The history of the wedding cake is steeped in symbolism and tradition, from ancient Rome’s practice of breaking bread over the bride’s head for good fortune to contemporary confections that embody celebration and social status. Vasconcelos’ Wedding Cake playfully adds to this rich history. Drawing inspiration from Lisbon’s exuberant Baroque buildings and decorative ceramic traditions, the artwork also pays homage to the Rothschild family’s great traditions of hospitality, with echoes of 18th-century garden pavilions.

Nestled within the grove of trees adjacent to the 19th-century Dairy, Wedding Cake becomes part of the captivating landscape of Waddesdon Manor. The Dairy, built by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild to enchant and entertain guests during his famous house parties, is a cultural landmark rooted in artistic creativity. The presence of Wedding Cake alongside this historical venue, described by contemporaries as “a treasure house of what is beautiful, curious or ancient,” adds a touch of magic and love to the cherished space.

Vasconcelos’ practice embodies a combination of international influences on Portuguese culture throughout the centuries. Her works playfully manipulate scale and incorporate familiar everyday objects in surprising and inventive ways. At a deeper level, her art explores notions of domesticity, femininity, empowerment, and the interplay between private and public realms.

Wedding Cake challenges traditional hierarchies of materials, elevating ceramics and textiles alongside noble materials like marble frequently used in grand structures. The Viúva Lamego manufactory, operating in Sintra for 170 years, crafted the ceramics for Wedding Cake. These hand-made tiles dictated the structure’s overall size, with an 11-meter diameter representing the smallest circle that can be formed using whole tiles.

The collaboration between Vasconcelos’ materials and techniques and Waddesdon Manor’s historical significance is a perfect match. The manor is renowned for its ceramics, including Sèvres and Meissen porcelain. The traditions of dining, entertainment, and festivity from the 18th and 19th centuries are deeply embedded in the collections, exemplified by objects like a silver dinner service made for King George III and a manual illustrating sugar sculpture. The sumptuous decoration of Wedding Cake echoes the ornamentation of the manor, creating a harmonious connection between the sculpture and its surroundings.

Lord Rothschild praises the collaboration with Vasconcelos, emphasizing how her work beautifully complements the existing magnificence of Waddesdon Manor.