08/06/2023
It is always exciting to attend the Serpentine Pavilion preview.
The one of this year is among my favourites being a wonderful call to action for exchange and conviviality crafted with wit and precision; Lina Gotmeh's pavilion, entitled "A' table", is in fact an invitation to sit around a table, share a meal, with all the attributes of care that this entails, and initiate a dialogue.
In a time characterised by international tension on the one hand, isolation in virtuality and haters on the other, it fills me with hope to be still be able to make such simple and concrete gestures like sitting down at a table and sharing ideas and stories, traditions and opinions with who is around me.
In a World in which people are still too often valued for what they can objectively give, or individuals claim to befriend only people with whom they can never disagree; it is refreshing to be in a place that incites to find a time and a silence to connect and listen to each other, exchange knowledge and experiences, and get to understand each other.
This is a concrete conceptual gesture of optimism that also stimulates us to reconnect with the natural environment through a central source of natural light and ventilation, references to the surrounding natural forms, and attention to the sustainability of the materials used and of the entire project.
