The Art of Chess

Yayoi Kusama, Pumpkin Chess, 2003

© Yayoi Kusama

Chess has fascinated creative minds for centuries, leading Marcel Duchamp to declare that "while all artists are not chess players, all chess players are artists." The Art of Chess pays tribute to this unique obsession, bringing together 16 chess sets crafted by artists from Rachel Whiteread to the Chapman brothers.

From a spotty toadstool set by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama to Damien Hirst's glass and silver casts of medicine bottles, the exhibition shows some of the world's leading artists responding to a single, simple brief. The exhibition, which has been touring since 2003, began with five sets commissioned by RS&A and has been growing ever since, with a new set by British artists Tim Noble and Sue Webster as the latest addition.