London, England - The Serpentine Pavilion Opening Party 2014

One of the highlights of the London summer social calendar is the party to introduce the Serpentine Pavilion in Hyde Park. You might remember my post from last year's pavilion.

While many of us thought a spaceship had landed from Mars, this creation was actually the brainchild of Chilean architect Smiljan Radic who was chosen as the 14th architect to design a temporary structure for the grounds of the London gallery. 

There is a café and seating area inside and, from July to October, there will be various art, film, music and poetry events held there as part of the galleries’ Park Nights series.

Previous architects have included Zaha Hadid, Frank Gehry, Oscar Niemeyer and Rem Koolhaas.

Here I am at the party with fellow American girlfriends, including the Serpentine Galleries' Head of Events, Michelle Anselmo, on the left.

At night, the semi-transparency of the shell, together with a soft amber-tinted light, draws the attention of passers-by.

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London, England - Serpentine Gallery Pavilion Opening Party 2013

Last night the girls and I attended the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2013 opening party, which was designed by multi award-winning Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto. He is the 13th and, at 41 years old, the youngest architect to accept the invitation to design a temporary structure for the Serpentine Gallery. 

The most ambitious architectural programme of its kind worldwide, the Serpentine's annual Pavilion commission is one of the most anticipated events on the cultural calendar. Spotted in the crowd: Princess Eugenie. 

Occupying some 350 square-metres of lawn in front of the Serpentine Gallery, Sou Fujimoto's delicate, latticed structure of 20mm steel poles has a lightweight and semi-transparent appearance that allows it to blend, cloud-like, into the landscape and against the classical backdrop of the Gallery's colonnaded East wing. 

Designed as a flexible, multi-purpose social space - with a café sited inside - visitors are encouraged to enter and interact with the Pavilion throughout its four-month stay in London's Kensington Gardens. 

© Sou Fujimoto Architects 
Image © 2013 Iwan Baan

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London, England - Future Contemporaries Party 2012 at the Serpentine Gallery

Kelly Osbourne and Kate Moss

The Serpentine Gallery and Diesel hosted a stunning line-up of live acts for its Future Contemporaries Party, which I attended Monday night. This annual fundraiser for the Gallery’s young patrons took place during London Fashion Week in the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2012, designed by Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei. 

Princess Eugenie and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York

The Future Contemporaries was founded by the Serpentine Gallery in 2007 to foster a new generation of philanthropists and art collectors under the age of 40, and comprises members from a wide variety of backgrounds and professions.

Model Alex Wek

The A-list event brought together young collectors, musicians and fashion a-listers for an evening of fun, in benefit of the Serpentine Gallery's non-profit programmes. 

Singer Corinne Bailey Rae

Food was created by rising culinary stars Isaac McHale of The Young Turks and Daniel Willis of The Clove Club, alongside a bespoke cocktail menu. Cups of coffee flavored gelato were served at the end of the evening. 

The Kills

The party featured live performances from The Kills and Wild Belle. DJs included Brodinski, Trevor Jackson and Erik Rug, all of whom kept us dancing until it was time to collapse into black cabs for the ride home. 

Not too shabby for a Monday night. 

Braving the English rain with my fellow party-goer the Duchess of York

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London, England - Serpentine Gallery Yoko Ono - To The Light Exhibition

My own "artistic" photo of Yoko Ono

Last evening I was an invited guest at London's Serpentine Gallery for the opening of TO THE LIGHT, a major exhibition of the work of artist Yoko Ono. The show reflects upon the enormous impact that she has made on contemporary art, exploring her influential role across a wide range of media. This exhibition, her first in a London public institution for more than a decade, includes new and existing installations, films and performances, as well as archive material relating to several key early works. My own personal opinion of the exhibition: sorry Yoko, not my cup of tea!

© 2012 Jerry Hardman-Jones

© 2012 Jerry Hardman-Jones

I much preferred sitting out in the evening sunlight with my friends at the Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei 2012 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, built of cork with a floating platform roof. 

Horsing around with cork seating: 
Jacket Maje, Bag Yves Saint Laurent Muse, Sunglasses Chanel.

My lovely friend Dara

© 2012 Iwan Baan

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