The Serpentine Gallery pavilion is still under construction but this summer it will be dwarfed by a giant, red, floating mastaba across the road on the Serpentine in Hyde Park.
You are familiar with mastabas? They originated in ancient Egypt and are burial chambers, like flat-topped pyramids.
This installation is by Christo, the chap who is famous for wrapping up anything from a journalist interviewing him to the Grand Canyon by way of the Reichstag in Berlin. His full name is Christo Vladimirov Javacheff, born in Bulgaria in 1935. He collaborated in his wrapping up with his French wife, Jeanne-Claude, until her death in 2009. This is his first installation in Britain. It’s a big beast isn’t it? About 7,500 painted barrels, 65 feet high, 130 feet long, 90 feet wide and it has been under construction since the beginning of April. It will be complete on Monday 18th June and will be dismantled at the end of September.
Here’s what Christo has to say about the project:
‘for a few months the london mastaba will be a part of the serpentine lake and its natural and urban surroundings,’ said christo. ‘I am excited to realise this temporary outdoor sculpture in the UK this summer. like with all of my projects, the construction, maintenance and removal of artwork will be entirely funded by me through the sale of my original works of art. the london mastaba in hyde park will be absolutely free to the public — no tickets, no reservations and no owners. it will belong to everyone (until it’s gone). I am also looking forward to the serpentine gallery exhibition exploring the use of barrels in my works from 1958 to today, which will provide important context for the london mastaba.’
This Christo agrees with him. I think it already looks spectacular and is a quirky, colourful addition to Hyde Park – a vast improvement on Winter Wonderland. However, nothing can beat nature. The Spanish chestnuts are in bloom in Kensington Gardens and you can’t hold a candle to them.
I walked by the construction site last week and was awestruck by the boldness and magnitude of the Mastaba. The fact that it is set against the narrowness of the Serpentine Lake (only 1.2 km long) further enhances it’s stature and impact. I can’t wait to see it finished, the cranes removed and the wooden fence taken down. London is fortunate to FINALLY have a Christo installation and I commend the Royal Parks as well as all the other organizations that helped make this happen.
June 15th will be a great day in Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens: not only will the date mark the official unveiling of Mastaba, but close by at the Serpentine Gallery, Frida Escobedo’s architectural urban design will be inaugurated as this year’s Summer Pavilion, which will last until October 7th.
Visitors to the park this summer will have two wonderful structures to look at and consider how brilliantly they fit into the ever changing London landscape.
And, pray tell, what do the ducks, geese, pigeons and squirrels who also share the park think of these magnificent exhibitions???