Serpentine North

Serpentine North or Serpentine North Gallery is a listed building in Hyde Park, London; which with the South Gallery constitutes the Serpentine Galleries, an art exposition space. It was originally known as The Magazine, and also, from 2013 to 2021, as the Serpentine Sackler Gallery. Since 2013, the name The Magazine names specifically an extension of the building, a restaurant designed by architect Zaha Hadid.

Serpentine North
Former namesSerpentine Sackler Gallery, The Magazine
General information
LocationSerpentine Galleries
Town or cityLondon
Design and construction
Architect(s)Zaha Hadid

History

Originally the building was gunpowder magazine built in 1805, and it is listed as a Grade II* building. This building was built in 1805 to replace an earlier building which stood to the north-east and was still extant in 1875; it is assumed that both structures were erected by the Board of Ordnance, possibly for the issue of gunpowder on the occasions of drill and reviews in Hyde Park. The original architect is unknown.[1]

The magazine remained in military use as workshops and stores until 1963 when it was transferred to the Ministry of Public Building and Works. From 2010, it was converted into an art gallery, with a renovation project directed by Zaha Hadid, which added the adjoining restaurant.[2]

Inauguration of the art gallery took place in 2013, with the name Serpentine Sackler Gallery, following a £5.5m donation from a foundation run by Theresa and Mortimer Sackler.[3] The Sackler family, members of which owned Purdue Pharma which is behind the painkiller OxyContin, is widely believed to be one of the causes of the US opioid epidemic.

The Sacklers have a history of museum philanthropy, with museums around the world accepting donations and naming buildings, wings, galleries and more after the family. This trend, which begun in the 2nd half of the 20th century and followed until the 2010s, was reversed by campaigns of victims of the epidemic. In the case of Serpentine North, artist Hito Steyerl opened up an exposition in the site publicly dennouncing the Sacklers. Following Steyerl's remarks, The Gallery subsequently put out a statement that concluded: “Donations to the Serpentine from the Sackler Trust are historic and we have no future plans to accept funding from the Sacklers.”[4]

In spring 2021, the Serpentine announced the name change from Serpentine Sackler Gallery to Serpentine North but the sign in the front of the building displayed the Sackler name until 2022.[5]

  • The Sackler's donation noted in 2016.
    The Sackler's donation noted in 2016.
  • Former name, Serpentine Sackler Gallery.
    Former name, Serpentine Sackler Gallery.
  • Interior view.
    Interior view.
  • The Magazine restaurant.
    The Magazine restaurant.
  • The Magazine, the restaurant extension by Zaha Hadid.
    The Magazine, the restaurant extension by Zaha Hadid.

See also

References
  1. "The Magazine". Historic England / National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  2. "The Serpentine Sackler Gallery / Zaha Hadid Architects". ArchDaily. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  3. Michalska, Julia; McGivern, Hannah (10 April 2019). "'Like being married to a serial killer': Hito Steyerl denounces Sackler sponsorship of museums". The Art Newspaper. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  4. Walters, Joanna (12 April 2019). "Serpentine Gallery shuns Sacklers after artist likens family to a 'serial killer'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 12 March 2023 – via www.theguardian.com.
  5. da Silva, José (12 January 2022). "London's Serpentine Galleries finally removes Sackler name from building, replacing it with North". The Art Newspaper. Retrieved 12 March 2023.

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