American artist Theaster Gates unveiled his conceptual design for the 2022 London Serpentine Gallery, the first time the Serpentine Gallery pavilion has been independently designed by a non-architect. The overall design is a tribute to British craftsmanship and draws on the "Importance of the Stoke-on-Trent Kiln" used to fire pottery.
The wooden pavilion, called the Black Chapel, was designed by Gates with the support of the Agaye office. The Black Church takes its name from a project Gates undertook in 2019 that involved overhauling the central atrium of the Museum of the House of Arts in Munich, which was originally built for the Nazi regime.
The black church has a round hole in the roof to create a sanctuary feeling. The building features a lightweight and fully removable timber structure designed to minimize its carbon footprint and impact on the environment. At the end of the exhibition time, it will be dismantled and relocated to a permanent location like other serpentine galleries.
In line with the artist's practice of spatial creation through urban and architectural interventions, the 2022 Serpentine Pavilion has a podium for participation, live performances, with a focus on music and public engagement.
The Black Chapel will open to the public on June 10 and host a series of live performances during the summer months.
Gates is the twelfth recipient of the Frederick Kessler Architecture and Art Award (2021), a Crystal Award in 2020 for his leadership in creating sustainable communities, a Legion of Honor Award in 2017, a Nasser Sculpture Award in 2018, and the J.C. Nichols Urban Development Visionary Award from the Urban Land Institute, in addition to Gates is a professor in the Department of Visual Arts at the University of Chicago and serves as Senior Advisor to Cultural Innovation and Dean Advisor to the Harris School of Public Policy.