Bertrand Lavier Fountain, Serpentine Sackler Gallery

Amongst the flowers of Kensington Gardens a new fountain by iconic French artist, Bertrand Lavier is taking shape. The latest of the Serpentine’s ongoing commissions, the sculpture is made entirely from found garden hoses, a fittingly playful piece by an artist who once re-made Salvador Dali’s iconic lip-shaped sofa on top of a chest freezer. The assemblage of hoses and nozzles is unruly and energetic, with spouts of water pouring out from all angles, an aesthetic which is a delightful contrast to the traditional, neoclassical style of the Sackler Gallery and the Serpentine Gallery Magazine Restaurant.
The fountain’s designer, Bertrand Lavier, has become known for his surprising constructions that reinterpret venerated works, such as Dali’s Mae West sofa, in an ironic twist on our definition of fine art, kitsch and the everyday. Previous works you might have heard of include a replica of a Frank Stella painting in neon tubes, a film of Mark Rothko’s dark images that evokes the experience of viewing the paintings, and a sculpture by Alexander Calder which he placed on a radiator. He has also become known for his everyday objects which he coats in a thick layer of paint, dubbed his ‘van-gogh-brushwork’, to make the object itself into a painting.
The project follows the Serpentine’s first commission, a wonderfully baffling creation entitled ‘On top of Another Rock’ by Swiss artists Fischli/Weiss. This bright and joyful creation, which is far more a sculpture than a fountain, is certainly worth a visit.