This summer, Serpentine and The Royal Parks thrilled press with a preview showcasing a new large-scale sculpture by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama (b. 1929, Matsumoto, Japan; lives and works in Tokyo, Japan). Situated by the Round Pond in Kensington Gardens, Pumpkin (2024) will be displayed in London until the 3rd of November 2024.
Pumpkin (2024) heralds Yayoi Kusama's triumphant return to Serpentine, a venue that first showcased her groundbreaking retrospective exhibition in Britain in 2000. This expansive display featured a mesmerising array of paintings, collages, watercolours, sculptures, and films, all vividly illustrating Kusama's profound fascination with dots, nets, food, and the complexities of human sexuality.
Kusama's latest masterpiece in Kensington Gardens stands as her tallest bronze pumpkin sculpture yet, soaring 6 meters high and stretching 5.5 meters wide. Positioned prominently by the Round Pond, Pumpkin (2024) captivates viewers from multiple angles, sparking a captivating interaction with the lush surroundings of the park.
Renowned for her immersive installations, expansive sculptures, and intricate paintings, Yayoi Kusama has left an indelible mark on the art world. From her iconic collaboration with Louis Vuitton that mesmerised Parisians and tourists along the Champs-Élysées to her pervasive use of kabocha, or pumpkin, in her oeuvre, Kusama's work is a testament to her boundless creativity. Since 1946, Kusama's pumpkins have manifested in myriad forms, colours, and dimensions, yet each bears her distinctive hallmark—a repetitive polka dot pattern adorning their surfaces.
Kusama's Pumpkin, located at the Round Pond in Kensington Gardens, continues a tradition of remarkable public installations in The Royal Parks since Serpentine's inception in 1970. This includes the recent addition of STRIP-TOWER (2023) by German luminary Gerhard Richter, prominently displayed on the outdoor plinth at Serpentine South.
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SERPENTINE GALLERIES
The Round Pond, Kensington Gardens
9 July – 3 November 2024
Words by Jheanelle Feanny
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