Renowned artist Theaster Gates unveils striking Serpentine Pavilion 2022, named Black Chapel

The Serpentine Pavilion, an annual architectural commission in London’s Kensington Gardens, will see its 21st edition designed by Theaster Gates, a Chicago-based artist. The Pavilion, titled Black Chapel, draws inspiration from the significance of the great kilns of Stoke-on-Trent and will pay homage to British craft and manufacturing traditions. The structure of the Pavilion will predominantly be made of wood, alluding to the performative and meditative qualities of a small chapel. An operating bell originating from the demolished St. Laurence Church on Chicago’s South Side will be placed next to the entrance of the Pavilion and will be used to call, signal and announce performances and activations.

Gates’ work has always focused on space-making through urban and architectural interventions. The Pavilion reflects his ongoing practice of creating spaces for public engagement, with an emphasis on music and live performances. Gates says that Black Chapel acknowledges the role that sacred music and the sacred arts have had on his practice and the collective quality of these emotional and communal initiatives.

The Pavilion will become a platform for Serpentine’s programme which will feature the return of Park Nights, the interdisciplinary platform for live encounters in music, poetry and dance, running alongside Serpentine’s Education and Civic activations including Family Workshops and Community Day. The Pavilion’s design also reflects Gates’ work in activating museum spaces, such as his 2019 commission from the late museum director and curator Okwui Enwezor to activate the central atrium of museum Haus der Kunst, Munich, originally built for the Nazi Regime. This project was an attempt to bring Black spiritual life to the museum.

The Pavilion selection was made by Serpentine Artistic Director Hans Ulrich Obrist, CEO Bettina Korek, and other advisors. The Pavilion will be designed to minimise its carbon footprint and environmental impact, in line with Serpentine’s sustainability policy. The predominantly timber structure will be lightweight and fully demountable, with a focus on sustainably-sourced materials and the reusability of the structure as a whole after its time installed at Serpentine.

Goldman Sachs will be supporting the annual project for the eighth consecutive year. The Pavilion’s title, Black Chapel, suggests that in these times there could be a space where one could rest from the pressures of the day and spend time in quietude. Gates says that he has always wanted to build spaces that consider the power of sound and music as a healing mechanism and emotive force that allows people to enter a space of deep reflection and/or deep participation.

 

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Cover: Serpentine Pavilion 2022, Black Chapel, designed by Theaster Gates. Design render, interior view. © 2022 Theaster Gates Studio