This year the Serpentine Summer Pavillion comes with bonus tenders in the form of four Summer houses which make up a complete Architecture Programme. The annual showcase has extended the commission for these four extra designs to be inspired by the Queen Caroline's Temple, nearby in Kensington Gardens. The architects are chosen to give them an opportunity to build their first structure in the UK and for the talents aged between 36 and 93 this must have been an incredible project!
Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) 300 metre square structure is based on the basics of a brick wall, but each block is a fibreglass frame, stacked on top of each other to look like the wall has been unzipped. The inside space will be a cafe during the day and events space in the evening all throughout the Summer till early October. During this time the adjacent Summer houses will offer extra space for shelter and relaxation with Kunlé Adeyemi's upholstered blocks and Barkow Leibinger's loops, quils and plywood paisley patterns.
Head over to the site to view the complete schedule of events in the "Park Nights" series.
From Rosy Nicholas's work with Estée Lauderin yesterday's post to another of my favourite artists, Lakwena and her collaboration with Clinique. Her dreamy graphic style and multi-colour palette have been combined for a cosmic cosmetics bag and purse. The pouch has been part of a gift-bag promotion concealing a combination of new products such as Smart Night Custom-Repair Moisturizer and Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer with Clinique classics like the beloved Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion. I'm chuffed to bits with this lot for my holidays and FOREVER as a keepsake of Lakwena's work for the archives. LOVE IT!
(Here it is with my new Lazy Oaf cloud beach towel)
Find out more on the Lakwena X Clinque collaboration here.
Following on from Rosy's pom-pom Converse to her pom-pom heels ........... worn to the launch of Estée Lauder's new line "The Estée Edit" unveiled at Selfridges by the campaign's star Kendall Jenner. Not only did we get the range of cosmetics (some exclusive to Selfridges) to take home to try but also some blue meringues by The Meringue Girls!
Since years of creating cosmic sets, props and accessories from paper and pom-poms - Rosy Nicholas has now recorded the process for the public to learn how to have a go too. Each cut and fold has been documented with step-by-step photography and annotated with directions to follow. "Dress You Up" is now available for pre-order and being published on 14th July, ready for you to customise your sunglasses and beach bag ready for the holidays!!
Here she is at her pop-up shop making cards from her illustration collages - follow Rosy on Instagram hereto see more.
My annual report from Bold Tendencies open-air sculpture park on Peckham's NCP, which is in its 9th year! Richard Wentworth's rooftop silver swirls have been kept from last year's commission and given a fresh reflective coat of Johnstone's metallic paint. The other painted installation is this pink stairwell by Simon Whybray, entitled "hi boo i love you" which goes up every single floor of the complex. From the lifts on the ground floor all the way up covering each hand-rail, pipe, fixture and fitting, coating the building in this bubble-gum pink. COSMIC!
Head over to the site to look up the jam-packed schedule of activities of music, poetry, film ......... here.
Last month I discovered the street-art of London's East End on a run led by Alternative London which uncovered works from Banksy to Eine and everything inbetween. This was the first city in a series of European dates on the inaugural Stance Runtour. The second stop on the trail was Copenhagen and I was lucky enough to win a place to go and join the trip. With each instalment someone will be chosen to continue onto the next destination with Paris and Milan on the itinerary.
Here are my snaps from Denmark's street-art including my favourite - a female artist Maya Hayuk who painted this whole building with a bright colour geometric pattern. Whilst we were out exploring the city, graffiti artist Brandon AKA "Juse One" was spraying a wall of Stance boxes for us to take away as keep-sakes. I love a good goody-bag and this is definitely the most unique one I've ever had; each signed, stamped and dated so that I now have two from both cities. The after-party was a great chance to get to know Copenhagen's NBRO running crew better and ask what else to do while I was in town......... hence the winning top-tip of visiting the Luisiana Museum (in the previous posts). This meant I squeezed in the maximum amount of art in the 24 hours I had in the city to run. All my favourite things combined in one......... and some new colourful socks, to boot!!
Read about the London run on my fitness blog for HUNGER TV here.
