Looking for a new play area or playground for the kids to run wild in? London’s newest offering has arrived in an unexpected locale, right in the middle of an art installation. That’s right, a bright orange play area can now be found right next to the Serpentine Gallery, for kids (and the young at heart) to clamber over and around. And the best part is, since it’s part of a public art installation, it’s free!
The play area forms part of the Serpentine Pavilion’s latest transformative installation, Archipelagic Void, designed by Minsuk Cho, Mass Studies. It is part of the piece’s ‘Play Tower’. The pyramid-shaped structure has been fitted with bright orange netting all throughout, and visitors are invited to climb and interact with it.
Archipelagic Void
Altogether the installation comprises five different structures or ‘content machines’. Each of the structures serves a different purpose within the Archipelagic Void. The other structures are:
- The Gallery: home to a sound installation from musician and composer Jang Young-Gyu, which fuses sounds from nature with traditional Korean vocal music and instruments.
- The Auditorium: a space for “public gathering, performances and talks to take place.”
- The Library of Unread Books: a ‘living library’ of donated unread books by artist Heman Chong and archivist Renée Staal. The structure speaks to themes of “access, excess and the politics of distribution.”
- The Tea House: a nod to the Serpentine Gallery building’s original function as a teahouse before reopening as an art gallery.
Find out more about the Serpentine Pavilion’s new installation here.
📍 Serpentine Pavilion, Serpentine Gallery, Kensington Gardens, W2 3XA. The nearest stations are High Street Kensington, Knightsbridge, and Lancaster Gate.