Serpentine Unveils Soto's Penetrable BBL Jaune in Kensington Gardens

Serpentine's summer programme launches with Jesús Rafael Soto's Penetrable BBL Jaune (1999; 2023 Edition), a major public sculpture on view from 16 June to 25 October 2026 near Serpentine South in Kensington Gardens. This is the first outdoor presentation of Soto's work in the UK. The 10-metre sculpture comprises 4,000 PVC strands suspended from a steel framework, inviting visitors to walk through and interact. Soto, born in Venezuela in 1923, was a key figure in kinetic art, creating over seventy Penetrable works. The programme also includes the 25th Serpentine Pavilion by LANZA atelier, titled a serpentine, opened on 6 June 2026, supported by Goldman Sachs for the 12th year and Rolex as Official Timepiece. The anniversary is marked with a partnership with the Zaha Hadid Foundation. The Pavilion will host Park Nights and other activations. Soto's work joins Giuseppe Penone's Albero folgorato and David Hockney's mural in the park's public art history.