As the days stretch long and the air turns sweet, the Serpentine Summer Party is a golden moment on London’s cultural calendar. Held annually in the grounds of Serpentine South in Kensington Gardens, this year’s fundraiser was hosted by Michael R. Bloomberg, Bettina Korek and Hans Ulrich Obrist, with co-hosts Peggy Gou, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Venus Williams. Nataal was in attendance to witness choreographer Eun-Me Ahn kick off the evening with an immersive dance and musical performance. This set a magical tone for a series of DJ sets from DJ Soulscape, Gilles Peterson and Màs Tiempo as well as Skepta.

Central to the proceedings was of course the 23rd Serpentine Pavilion, which was masterminded this year by Korean architect and artist Misuck Cho of Mass Studies. Titled ‘Archipelagic Void’, the structure features five main timbre islands surrounding and linked to a communal central area inspired by the traditional Korean courtyard, known as a madang. This innovative design blends contemporary architecture with cultural heritage and creates an evolving conversation with sound and book installations, as well as with the light and nature that weaves in and out of each structure. Throughout the summer, its kinetic energy welcomes passers-by to gather, to sit, to listen – even to climb – all the while reconsidering the value of collective rituals.

Adding to the interactive nature of the party, guests had the opportunity to engage with Judy Chicago’s artwork, ‘What if Women Ruled the World?’. This participatory quilt has already travelled the world, inviting viewers to reflect on gender equality and collaborate with the legendary artist by responding to her provocative question both in person and online. It also acts as the entry point to her show ‘Judy Chicago: Revelations’, currently on view at Serpentine North and featuring never-before-seen works putting women front of centre of the art world.

Beyond this night of glamour and celebration, of art and architecture, Serpentine will keep culture lovers coming back for more throughout the summer with its complimentary programme of events and talks. Further to Yinka Shonibare’s major solo show ‘Suspended States’ at Serpentine South [READ NATAAL’S FULL FEATURE HERE], assistant curator Alexa Chow will lead an insightful tour on 6 July leaning into its themes of migration, imperialism and public space.

Over at Soho’s Stone Nest on 11 July, ‘Daughters of the River’ by Adham Faramawy intertwines dance and spoken word to explore “the romances and toxicities of rivers and waterways”. Drawing on Alexander Pope’s poem ‘Windsor-Forest’, Faramawy delves into mythology and queer desires to reveal the colonial histories of these threatened ecosystems. And as Part of Park Nights, Serpentine’s annual series that turns the pavilion into a stage, ‘Temporal Magic’ on 19 July is an evening of poetry by scholars including Anne Boyer, Don Mee Choi and Denise Riley.

Finally, not to be missed is the unveiling of ‘Pumpkin’, a new public work by Yayoi Kusama, on 9 July. To be found by the Round Pond, this joyful bronze sculpture is covered in the Japanese artist’s signature polka dot. Kusama says: “Since my childhood pumpkins have been a great comfort to me, they are such tender things to touch, so appealing in colour and form. They are humble and amusing at the same time and speak to me of the joy of living.”