London's Serpentine Gallery debuts in Beijing

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London's Serpentine Gallery Pavilion has arrived at Wangfujing commercial zone in downtown Beijing at the start of its first overseas tour.

The WF Central with the Serpentine Galleries hosted the opening ceremony Tuesday, inaugurating the Beijing pavilion.

The opening ceremony of the Serpentine Pavilion Beijing in the Chinese capital, May 29, 2018. /Photo via bj.people.cn

Inspired by Confucianism, the inaugural pavilion was designed by Chinese architect Liu Jiakun. The architecture is a physical representation of the traditional pursuit of Junzi.

Characterized by a figure of the Archer, the design reflects the balanced forces of tension and compression.

The Serpentine Pavilion Beijing is located in the Wangfujing commercial zone. /VCG Photo

“Although modern architecture in Beijing has developed a series of powerful techniques to fight the external forces of fierce winds and unpredictable earthquakes, the Pavilion’s integral structures aim – like the Tai Chi Master – to conquer the hardness of those forces with softness,” explained the Serpentine Pavilion in a press release.

As one of the most popular architectural exhibitions, London's Serpentine Pavilion cooperates with architects and asks them to build a temporary shelter on the gallery's lawn each summer.

The Serpentine Gallery at its home in Kensington Gardens in London /VCG Photo

It is for the first time the Serpentine Pavilion has been located outside of the Galleries’ Kensington Gardens home in London. The popular summer pavilion program expanded its exhibition range this year and chose Beijing as the first stop.

The Serpentine Pavilion Beijing is one of the significant cultural programs introduced to the Wangfujing commercial zone during its process of realignment.

The Wangfujing Street at night /VCG Photo

Since 2017 the Wangfujing commercial zone has experienced a reformation with the upgrading of infrastructure and the environment as well as the transformation of its commercial system.

With rich historical and cultural resources, the area, through the transition of commercial forms, is expected to offer more diverse activities merging culture and commerce to citizens and tourists.

The night market near the Wangfujing Street in Beijing /VCG Photo

Located 600 meters away from the historic Forbidden City in the Dongcheng District, the Beijing Pavilion covers 6,400 square meters near WF Central.

Running from May to October, the Serpentine Pavilion Beijing will host a sequence of cultural events and activities, including the WF Moscow Cultural Festival, the 8th Beijing International Film Festival Exhibition, “Water, Cloud, Mountain” BMW Immersive experience space, etc.

(With inputs from Xinhua and the ArchDaily)

(Cover photo: The Serpentine Pavilion Beijing in the Wangfujing commercial zone in Beijing /VCG Photo)