As usual, the glamorous Serpentine Summer Party in London was hot—and not just because of the surprisingly blue skies and balmy temps that sent some A-listers seeking shade. Luckily, they found it in abundance under the 23rd Serpentine Pavilion, Archipelagic Void, designed by Korean architect Minsuk Cho. Its five ‘islands,’ which form a starburst surrounding a central open-air space on the grounds of Serpentine South, provided ample cover, along with artwork, a sound installation and a play tower.
This year’s fête was hosted by philanthropist, arts patron and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, Serpentine CEO Bettina Korek and the gallery’s artistic director, Hans Ulrich Obrist along with tennis star Venus Williams, singer and songwriter Peggy Gou and actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw.
An eclectic mix of partygoers, which included actor Benedict Cumberbatch, British television presenter Maya Jama, Oscar-nominated actor Laurence Fishburne, actress Minnie Driver, artist Yinka Shonibare (whose show “Suspended States” is on at Serpentine South), Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae and human rights campaigner and legendary jet-setter Bianca Jagger, descended upon Kensington Gardens to mingle around Cho’s pavilion and to celebrate artist Judy Chicago’s six-decades-long career of making feminist art. Revelers could take part in the participatory “What If Women Ruled the World?” project—part of Serpentine’s “Revelations” exhibition—which generated a proof-of-participation token on the Tezos blockchain.
The star-studded event, which marks the opening of the year’s pavilion and raises funds for Serpentine, was a people watcher’s dream. The only thing that could eclipse the splendor of the pavilion and the beautiful weather were the various stunning looks sported by the sundry celebrities, arts patrons, models, philanthropists, socialites, industry leaders and cultural insiders who made an appearance.
