Friday was one of the hottest days of the year so far, and I headed to Hyde Park from Knightsbridge to check out the London Mastaba. The London Mastaba towers above the waters in the Serpentine lake, and I caught a glimpse of it in the distance. It was created by Bulgarian artist Christo, and he funded the project himself. The art installation is created using 7506 bright red, pink and blue barrels and is 66 feet tall. The Mastaba is named after an ancient Arabic bench. It's hard to miss with the bright colours and reflection.
The Mastaba is a first in a series as Christo wishes to create an even larger (eight times larger) sculpture in Abu Dhabi. The art installation appeared at the end of June and will be on display until 23 September.
I approached from Knightsbridge at the opposite end of the lake. If visiting in the afternoon, there will not be a great view from this direction unless you walk to the other side due to the position of the sun. (I wasn't sure where in the Serpentine the art installation was.)
To visit the London Mastaba, visitors can walk across the park from Hyde Park Corner, Lancaster Gate, and Knightsbridge; for a slightly longer walk, visitors can walk from South Kensington or Marble Arch. The art installation is actually located at the beginning of the Serpentine near the Serpentine Sackler Gallery and opposite the Serpentine Lido. While you're in the area, check out the Serpentine Gallery Summer Pavilion, which is different each year. This year, it looks a little like a protective fence that you'd see in a prison or around the old American embassy in London. You can see past Serpentine Gallery Summer Pavilions here.
Leave a comment