There are many art galleries in West London, but only one is as well-loved as the Serpentine Gallery. Located in Kensington Gardens in a lovely brick building built in 1934 as a tea pavilion, it was opened in 1970 and specializes in contemporary and modern art.
On the grounds of the gallery in an installation by Ian Hamilton that was built in honour of Diana, Princess of Wales.
She was a patron of the Serpentine Gallery and the work is made up of a tree plaque, a carved stone circle, and eight benches.
Exhibits at the gallery have included works by Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Man Ray, and Andy Warhol.
During Park Nights, on Fridays, the Serpentine Gallery hosts independent film screenings and experimental music concerts, as well as sponsoring talks and events.
The gallery has a very strong education programme that runs some interesting events on Sundays, like Park Play Designs and Extraordinary Laboratory where people can come out and gets hands-on with some artists and architects for structure building.
There is a Summer Party in July which brings out celebrities in droves.
The Summer Pavilion is an architectural wonderland.
Each year an architect is invited to design and build pavilion that will remain next to the gallery during the summer months.
Previous invitees have included Rem Koolhaas, Zaha Hadid, and Olafur Elisson.
Often controversial but always interesting, the Summer Pavilion is one of the highlights of the Serpentine Gallery.
One of the best things about the Serpentine Gallery is its small size.
Compact and perfectly formed, it makes a welcome counterpoint to the enormous mega-museums that are available.
It is quiet and calm, a very pleasant place to spend an hour or so looking around.
The bookshop itself is a gem and worth a trip all by itself, with hundreds of art books and print lining the shelves of its compact space, and all very reasonably priced.
Admission to the gallery is free, making it an even more appealing stop.
If art galleries in West London are on your agenda, make sure the Serpentine Gallery is at the top of your list.
Visiting Serpentine Gallery
Kensington Gardens, South Kensington, London, W2 3XA
Telephone: 020 7298 1515
Email information@serpentinegallery.org
Opening Times
10am to 6pm
Photo courtesy: Wolfiewolf
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