Toasting to Lina Ghotmeh’s Serpentine Pavilion
On Tuesday in London, guests made their way through Kensington Gardens to the Serpentine Pavilion for the return of the annual Serpentine Summer Party. Greeted by hosts Michael R. Bloomberg, the gallery’s CEO Bettina Korek, and its Artistic Director Hans Ulrich Obrist, was a guest list spanning the worlds of art, fashion, and beyond. Including names like Orlando Bloom, Es Devlin, Molly Goddard, Venus Williams, Anthony Gormley, Diane Kruger, Alexa Chung, Tyler Mitchell, Lena Dunham, Andrew Garfield, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, they convened for a night of merrymaking at the open-air pavilion, À table, designed by the architect Lina Ghotmeh, who was also in attendance.
Serpentine Summer Party, photo courtesy of BFA.com.
“We’re delighted to see the return of the legendary Serpentine Summer Party. It is London’s cultural calendar’s apogee and the most significant patronage event of the season,” said Korek and Obrist. “Centered around artists and Lina Ghotmeh’s elegant Pavilion, this year’s prestigious fundraiser was a unique and exciting opportunity to bring the Serpentine community closer together by making connections between our supporters and artists.”
À Table by Lina Ghotmeh
At the beautiful sunburst-shaped pavilion, conceived by Ghotmeh to highlight environmental responsibility and offer a place for community, the festivities were all-encompassing. Following a performance by Aga Khan Master Musicians and the Aga Khan Music Programme’s Soriana Project—a group of performers bringing sounds inspired by the Middle East, including Basel Rajoub, Feras Charestan, and Andrea Piccioni—the night kicked off with treats, installations, and more to ignite the senses through a convivial landscape stretching in and around the architectural masterpiece.
Serpentine Summer Party, photo © Harry Richards.
One highlight, in particular, was a collaboration with champagne house Ruinart, an avid patron of contemporary arts in all its facets. With bubbling glasses of R de Ruinart in hand, partygoers took part in a viewing of Tomás Saraceno’s film for the maison, Aerocene, which was part of its “COUNTDOWN” series surrounding the climate emergency, and accompanied the artist’s exhibition “Web(s) of Life,” on view at Serpentine South through September 10.
Concurrently, were activations like Gabriel Massan’s game characters from Followers brought to life with the help of Tezos and a preview of Sissel Tolaas’s olfactory installation INVISIBLE POMPEII, which captures a smell that can be dated back to 79AD.
Serpentine Summer Party, photo courtesy of BFA.com.
The Annual Serpentine Summer Party
All the while, attendees enjoyed passed bites, limited-edition Ladurée macarons decorated with designs by Ghotmeh, and refreshments like sips crafted with Casamigos Tequila. Finally, the evening rose to a peak when DJ Benji B and Major League DJz treated the crowd to special performances, ending the most memorable night on a high note.
Serpentine Summer Party, photo © Harry Richards.
Serpentine Summer Party, photo courtesy of BFA.com.
