Wicked Game

is an art installation that marks the 450th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth I’s 19-day visit to Kenilworth Castle. The installation explores a new perspective on Queen Elizabeth I’s relationship with her courtier and long-term suitor Robert Dudley, and her strategies for maintaining authority from the epicentre of a Tudor power struggle.

In July, a group of Young Producers met at Kenilworth Castle to explore the exhibition.

Here are Haoyue’s reflections…

A summary of the exhibition in your own words? 

Spectacular flashbacks of the 16th century – rotten apples suspended on golden staircases, secrets and scandals frozen in clay. It felt like a surreal chessboard where every piece tells a story of power and passion.

What were your initial thoughts upon seeing the sculptures? 

There was a fire, there was blood. It was like stepping into the aftermath of a royal game – fragments scattered, but still holding onto whispers of their time. And then I noticed spider webs gently growing between the pieces, which made me think the artworks belong here, as if they’ve always been part of the castle.
 
What emotions did you feel? 

Curiosity first, then a sense of unease, but in a beautiful way. It felt like walking through someone’s memories – some sweet, some haunting.

What did Lindsey Mendick aim to do with this installation? 

I think she wanted to dig into the power games of Elizabethan times, showing how love, ambition, and betrayal shaped history. It’s also about questioning what has really changed today – especially in terms of gender, control, and reputation.

Do you feel she was successful? 

Yes, because it wasn’t just about the past – it made me reflect on now. The mix of humour, drama, and raw honesty really pulls you in. The way the works sit among the ruins makes them feel timeless.

Have you visited anything like it before? 

Not exactly. I’ve seen historic sites and contemporary art, but rarely together in such an intense conversation. The only similar one I’ve ever would be the Boros Collection in Berlin, where contemporary artworks live within the ruins of WW2 – but that was not commissioned specifically.

What were the themes of the installation and did you find it interesting? 

Themes like power, love, betrayal, feminism, and time running in layers. It felt alive, like history and art feeding each other, and I left thinking about the echoes we leave behind. 

Something I noticed… 

When I put myself into the ‘game’, I discovered some spider nets grew in between the fragments. It felt like the artworks have always been there at Kenilworth since it was first built, manifesting the voiceless history of war, romance and political rivalries, planting on the existing structure. Lindsey’s work combines together feminism, cynicism and criticism towards the time of Elizabeth I, making audiences from the present day to question- what have changed, and what remains the same…