On Saturday 21 February our friends at The Serpentine are hosting one hell of a multi-disciplinary arts party, more or less upon the eponymous river, at their Zaha Hadid-designed Sackler Gallery in central London.
A diverse but far from disparate affair, Quietus-approved, LA-indie groove-machine Warpaint bringing the jams alongside internationally renowned DJs, which already sounds much better than that other Night At The Museum (I know, I know, it’s a gallery). And, as you’d expect from Hans Ulrich Obrist and co, the night (which runs from 7-12 pm) goes well beyond the musical, nodding nod just to the beat but to the Beats in the form of the Wholly Communion Verbal Disco with readings by some of our favourite contemporary poets: Quietus-published Tender Journal editors Rachael Allen and Sophie Collins (whose poem ‘Zyzio’ begins "Hans Ulrich Obrist throws bread to the swans") will take to the stage along with curator-poet Harry Burke, our new poetry columnist (first edition on its way to you this Sunday) Sam Riviere, Harland Miller and Kit Buchan.
While The Serpentine’s link to contemporary poetry is probably less well known than, say, their staging of Marina Abramovic’s ‘512 Hours’ last year or their annually-renewed Pavilion, the gallery has consistently shown commitment to being present not just as an observer but a driving force at its ever-expanding edge as much as with any other art form. (Burke, Allen and Collins all read alongside Luna Miguel, Crispin Best and Gabby Bess at 2013’s ’89plus’ Marathon.)
The event, this year made possible by Coach (a New York luxury design house whose Backstage concert series mixes the known and soon-to-be-known), is as ever in aid of the gallery’s excellent Future Contemporaries programme set up in 2000 to encourage engagement with contemporary art by a younger demographic. It will also be raising funds for the Serpentine’s acclaimed Art, Architecture, Design, Education and Public programmes as well as helping keep the galleries free. I don’t think we need point out that’s all important work and generally very good stuff indeed.
Tickets now on sale: £200 (Non-Members) or £175 (Members) – to purchase tickets, please contact fcparty@serpentinegalleries.org / +44 (0) 20 7298 1546
