Zumtobel Lighting Sponsor 21st Serpentine Pavilion

Image: Serpentine Pavilion 2022 Black Chapel designed by Theaster Gates. Design render, exterior view. © 2022 Theaster Gates Studio, courtesy: Serpentine.

• 10 June – 16 October
• Products from the Zumtobel Group lighting brands include Zumtobel’s VIVO II, Thorn’s Contrast, and Zumtobel’s LITECOM lighting controls system.

Zumtobel Lighting is proud to announce that it will be sponsoring the 21st Serpentine Pavilion. The Serpentine Pavilion is a pioneering commission, which began in 2000 with Zaha Hadid, has presented the first UK structures by some of the biggest names in international architecture. In recent years it has grown into a highly-anticipated showcase for emerging talents.

Chicago-based artist Theaster Gates designed this year’s installation – Black Chapel, which is realised with the architectural support of Adjaye Associates and will open to the public on Friday 10 June 2022, expecting to run until 16 October, with Goldman Sachs supporting the annual project for the eighth consecutive year.

Drawing inspiration from the significance of the great kilns of Stoke-on-Trent, the Pavilion will pay homage to British craft and manufacturing traditions. While the structure of the Pavilion will predominantly be made of wood, the Pavilion’s design alludes 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. Conceived as a platform for participation, live performances, with an emphasis on music and public engagement, Black Chapel will continue the artist’s ongoing practice of space-making through urban and architectural interventions.

Theaster Gates said: “The name Black Chapel is important because it reflects the invisible parts of my artistic practice. It acknowledges the role that sacred music and the sacred arts have had on my practice, and the collective quality of these emotional and communal initiatives. Black Chapel also 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. I have 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.”

The Zumtobel Group lighting brands Zumtobel and Thorn are supplying luminaires that include VIVO II (Zumtobel) spotlights for the main pavilion space and Contrast (Thorn) architectural floodlights for the exterior pathway, all connected and controlled by the Zumtobel’s LITECOM Lighting Controls system.

The Group will be hosting a private event for customers in the newly conceived space in September.

Matthew Boucher Managing Director at Zumtobel Group UK & Ireland comments, “We are honoured to be sponsoring the Serpentine Pavilion once again; “this will be the third time that we have been involved in this remarkable project. After two years away, we are also looking forward to welcoming our clients to Black Chapel for an engaging and inspirational session”.

In line with the Zumtobel Group’s commitment to sustainability, The Pavilion is designed to minimise its carbon footprint and environmental impact, adhering to the 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. While the Pavilion begins its life in Kensington Gardens, it will be re-sited to a permanent location in the future.

Bettina Korek, Chief Executive, and Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director, said: “We are honoured to undertake this remarkable project with leading visual artist Theaster Gates. One of the most significant voices working today, Gates’ praxis combines formalism, conceptualism and powerful impact felt throughout the communities in which he works and beyond. We look forward to welcoming visitors to Black Chapel as a platform for engagement, spirituality and togetherness.”