For most culturally curious Londoners, the opening of the Serpentine Pavilion marks the start of the summer season. Designed by Chicago-based artist Theaster Gates, the 2022 edition, named Black Chapel, references ‘many of the architectural typologies that ground the artist’s practice.’ We’re talking the bottle kilns of Stoke-on-Trent, the Roman Tempiettos, and traditional African structures, such as the Musgum mud huts of Cameroon.
Realised with the support of Adjaye Associates, the circular Pavilion is made from wood and features a central oculus, creating a sanctuary for reflection, connection and conviviality. Hanging inside the structure are seven new tar paintings created by Gates especially for Black Chapel that honour his father’s craft as a roofer.
Over the course of the summer, the Pavilion will host a programme of events and live performances centred around ideas of the sacred. We’re looking forward to performances by Corinne Bailey Rae and The Choir of the London Oratory. While you’re there, make sure to swing by Back to Earth, a new exhibition exploring the fragility of our planet. Grab your friends and pack a picnic — it’s time to make the most of London’s long summer nights.
Opening at Christie’s this week is London Now, a summer festival of exhibitions, events and auctions that celebrate the capital as one of the most culturally vibrant cities in the world.
Headlining the festival is ‘The Art of Literature’, a dedicated series of events exploring the relationship between art and literature. Not to be missed is The Art of Literature: Auction Highlights Exhibition (6 – 15 June), an immersive showcase of the top lots from across Christie’s summer auction season with fashion by Molly Goddard. Expect to see lots of tulle, taffeta, organdie and silk, as wondrous looks from her archive collections — including her Autumn/Winter 2019 Ready-to-Wear collection, inspired by Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles — are suspended from the ceiling.
Also on display is The Art of Literature: Loan and Selling Exhibition (6 June – 14 July), a cross-category showcase featuring works of art inspired by the written word, as well as the novels, poetry, drama and stories which have inspired them.
Curated by Christie’s next generation of specialists, the exhibition seeks to spark new conversations around the links between the literary and the visual arts. ‘We have relished the opportunity to thread a narrative between writers and artists from the classical period to the present day,’ says co-curator Annabelle Scholar. ‘Works of art and literature on show will range from Dante to Hilary Mantel, and Roman antiquities to Marlene Dumas’. Much of the festival is open to the public (and free), so hop online to browse the full programme of events.
