6 incredible outdoor art trails

Whoever said art is supposed to be displayed on a crisp white surface, housed under a roof and cocooned between four walls has never visited an impressive outdoor gallery space. Obviously. Framed by trees and lit by the sun, some of the world’s best artworks and sculptures can be found in gardens, parks and open-air museums.

Here, we uncover a collection of incredible outdoor art trails worth exploring.

1. Brick Bay Sculpture Trail

Where: Brick Bay Sculpture Trail, Arabella Lane, Snells Beach,
New Zealand

Close to home, the Brick Bay Sculpture Trail is nestled amongst nature and weaves its way past contemporary sculptures by leading and emerging New Zealand artists. With over 40 rotating pieces – most of which are for sale – the 2-kilometre trail is partially shaded by a lush bush canopy and overlooks the Brick Bay Vineyard. After perusing the exhibiting works, exit through the Glass House for a sublime wine tasting experience.

2. Il Giardino dei Tarocchi

Where: Località Garavicchio, Capalbio, Italy

If there already weren’t enough reasons to visit Tuscany, here’s another: Il Giardino dei Tarocchi otherwise known as the Tarot Garden. This mystical outdoor space was created in the 1970s but only opened to the general public in 1998. It showcases 21 mosaic-covered sculptures by French artist Niki de Saint Phalle. A visit to this future-telling garden is guaranteed to be full of mystery and colour, bringing you up close and personal with mammoth statues representing characters from Tarot cards, including The High Priestess and The Magician.

3. Wynwood Walls

Where: Wynwood Arts District, Miami, United States

Wynwood drips the “trendy art scene” vibe from its massive collection of museums, galleries and pop-up stores. But perhaps the coolest and most inspiring art of them all can be seen on the Wynwood Walls. It’s in this area that murals by some of the most renowned street artists, including Shepard Fairey, line warehouse walls and create one of the world’s largest and unique open-air art installations. Not to be missed!

4. Hakone Open-Air Mueseum

Where: Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, Japan

Balancing art and nature, the Hakone Open-Air Museum is Japan’s first purposefully built outdoor art museum, and provides the perfect weekend escape from the craziness of Tokyo. With immaculate lawns and gardens dotted with over 120 grand-scale pieces by international artists, this outdoor gallery is a welcome contrast to stark city museums. Expect to see the works of Isamu Noguchi, Henry Moore, Joan Miro and many more.

5. Park Güell

Where: Barcelona, Spain

Any true fan of Gaudi will be familiar with Park Güell. Located in Barcelona, this spectacular park was originally designed by the famous architect as an outdoor area for private residences. Fortunately for the world, the park was handed over to the city not long after and the gates to this imaginative, one-of-a-kind quirky gallery space were flung open to the public. Strange, experimental, captivating are just some of the words that come to mind when wandering through this Gaudi masterpiece.

6. Inhotim

Where: Rua B, 20 – Centro, Brumadinho – MG, Brazil

Lovers of contemporary art can’t go past Brazil’s Inhotim. Situated about two hours from Belo Horizonte in the southeast of the country, this giant outdoor gallery boasts over 500 works from roughly 100 international artists (think: Olafur Eliasson and Doug Aitken) and displays them in a way that encourages visitors to interact with art. And if that’s not enough, this is also the place where over 1000 palm species flourish. Get around by foot or go luxe and hire one of the chauffeured golf carts.

(Feature Image: andicati; Search flights to Auckland image by Bengt Nyman)