Jupiter Artland — Attraction in Great Britain

This is not a review criticism of Jupiter Artland as a venue but an honest reflection as an individual that had been given a paid commission by Jupiter Artland, I’m highlighting my experience and frustrations in dealing with this institution. I want to detail my experience and alert others to the nature in which I feel I have been unprofessionally treated by them. I was originally given a ‘micro’ commission late 2024 as part of Jupiter+ Paisley to design a banner with a collage work for summer 2025 Jupiter Rising music and art festival. A festival which runs as part of the EAF and which claims to champion underrepresented artists. I was initially excited and felt grateful to have this commission as it was important to me as a way to show my work to a larger audience and be a part of the Edinburgh Art Festival even if contributing in a small way. After accepting the offer of the commission correspondence went dead for months following. I wrote emails asking for further information to which it went ignored until around April this year. I was then put in touch with various different people who asked if I would still be interested. After again agreeing to the commission and finally submitting my collage design my submission again went ignored. I received no communication from anyone at the team until I had to chase it up myself to see if it was accepted or even going to be used. I received a reply from a member of staff named Janeki who’s response I found slightly patronising in tone saying she had received it but yet to look at it. Over a month passed again until a few days before the event when I received a reply from a staff member who detailed that they did go ahead and use my image. After I sent my invoice in order to be paid my requests went completely ignored for over two weeks. I have now been in contact with several different employees from Jupiter Artland who each tell me contradictory information and I’m yet to be paid now over a month on. For an institution who appear seemingly on paper as diverse and who stand to champion underrepresented artists my experience has been anything but. Instead, I’ve found them to be incredibly classist and they have treated me like an afterthought I honestly question the intent on giving me the opportunity as it feels like more than half the time, they had absolutely no idea who I was or what was going on. I appreciate that the festival and organisers are dealing with many artists, some with International recognisability and that some require more urgency and attention however I feel in this case I have been incredibly patient and still feel invisible as a contributor to this festival and institution. I did not feel championed, supported or encouraged in anyway whatsoever and in my opinion, they appear to only be interested in ‘big’ names within the artworld and take incredibly little interest in you if you are someone local and starting out. I am disappointed and wouldn’t work or engage with them again in the future. I have also sent them a final action letter as they continue to...

From the moment we walked through the gates of Jupiter Artland, I had high hopes, until the true absurdity of the place revealed itself. Yes, the girl on reception was pleasant, cheerfully rattling off the entry fees (a not-so-humble £13 per adult) and then casually adding: “Oh, and if you brought your dog, that’ll be another £8.” Pay to breathe fresh air? Pay to let your dog sniff the same trees you’re paying to admire? My dog doesnt appreciate art? Utterly absurd.

Once inside, we were confronted with what passed for “exhibitions”, a haphazard scattering of half-finished sculptures, random household junk, and the occasional half-hearted installation crudely strewn among the trees. It felt less like a curated art experience and more like someone’s garage sale dumped willy-nilly in the forest. There was zero cohesion, zero explanation beyond cryptic labels, and frankly, zero appeal.

Worse still was the bizarre, overtly sexual video playing inside a creepy little house on the grounds. Clearly aimed, bewilderingly, at children. In one particularly disturbing scene, one of the animated characters forcibly grabs a female figure and insists on looking up her skirt, complete with suggestive camera angles that left my jaw on the floor. If the goal was to unsettle every parent in sight, congratulations.. you’ve succeeded. If the goal was to be “family friendly,” whoever approved that display ought to be sent back to art school basics.

By the time we stumbled into the café hoping for a decent coffee or a light snack to salvage the day we were greeted by eye-watering prices: £15 for a modest plate of eggs and avocado on toast, a lukewarm coffee for £3.50, and otherwise good service that couldn’t make up for the daylight robbery of the menu. There was nothing “natural” about it; the whole place seemed like a money making sham masquerading as an arty woodland retreat.

In sum, Jupiter Artland is a shambles wrapped in a forest. The only commendable feature is the friendly staff, and that’s faint praise when every other aspect of the experience is so excruciatingly misguided. Save your time, save your money and certainly save your dog from the indignity of paying to...

I had loved a previous solo trip so brought the family. The site doesn't allow picnics; arriving at lunchtime, we headed for the cafe. The cheaper van option had insufficient but sunny & quiet tables, only they were also dirty & wet. We grabbed one of these & wiped the table and benches then left one person as guard while the remaining three hopped back & forth looking at the menu and changing places with the person on the table. This was tricky, because mum, forgetful, couldn't remember what people wanted & the kids didn't understand the limited menu: What was "claverhouse brie"? Pastrami? Peasemeal? Meanwhile, fearless table interlopers, seeing us distracted tried to take the spot from the child guard. Eventually, we queued, but by the time we got to paying the girl had run out of soup (at 1pm). No, no more was expected. We moved to the more expensive cafe that was rammed, had queues & thumping music apparently stuck on a loop. Garish wall designs contributed to the madhouse atmosphere. While queuing again a staff member told us to move out her way. "Where to?" I said because with people jammed up behind us, there was no space to move to. "Nearer the door," she replied, highhandedly. Menus, when they came, were 2 for 4 people & dirty & broken. The food we tried to order was going to take another 20 minutes to cook. By this time my appetite had gone & I left. The others reported indifferent food quality, value poor & no receipt provided upon request. My son was disappointed that the Minecraft app for the site is no longer available. The trail through the woods is pleasant though, some of the exhibits are arresting and if you avoid the food it is good value, especially the pay-by-donation Tuesdays, which makes the site accessible to those who could not otherwise afford it. The Jencks creation is spectacular though it was sad to see the children fearful of the site inspectors & hamstrung by the signs that say, effectively, "Playing Restricted". The "sites of former artworks" were about as exciting as night orienteering. The road surfaces in and out badly...