Black Chapel by artist Theaster Gates is this year’s Serpentine pavilion which I visited on a scorchingly hot day, one of too many in London this summer. The dark interior was a welcome respite from the intense glare and heat.
A simple circular structure, the main space is for congregation and reflection, exactly like a chapel.
A set of tar paintings honouring Gates’ father’s trade as a roofer line one side of the interior. Note the reference to the Rothko Chapel.
Light from the oculus moves slowly around the space during daylight hours.
Behind the internal wall lies a small cafe, an incentive to linger a little longer.
There is even a bronze bell (salvaged from St. Laurence, a Catholic Church in Chicago) rung to call people to the events running here throughout summer.
The bell has added poignancy, reminding me of the closure of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry .