Design for Freedom by Grace Farms is Responsible Materials Advisor for 21st Serpentine Pavilion Designed by Theaster Gates
Pavilion opens on June 10
The 21st Serpentine Pavilion, designed by Theaster Gates with architectural support from Adjaye Associates is the first completed international Design for Freedom Pilot Project. Grace Farms Foundation is the Responsible Materials Advisor for the pavilion, which is open to the public from June 10 to October 16, 2022.
Sharon Prince, CEO and Founder of Grace Farms Foundation said: “It is an honour that Design for Freedom by Grace Farms is collaborating with Serpentine to assess ethical sourcing of the building materials for the 21st Serpentine Pavilion. This first completed international Design for Freedom project is accelerating the growing movement to eliminate forced labour from the building materials supply chain. Grace Farms looks forward to enhancing this partnership through shared programming this year in the U.S. at Grace Farms and at Serpentine.”
Serpentine Pavilion 2022 designed by Theaster Gates © Theaster Gates Studio. Photo: Iwan Baan. Courtesy: Serpentine.
In its role as Responsible Materials Advisor, Grace Farms worked with Serpentine and AECOM to trace several materials, including plywood and timber, steel work, concrete, and the weatherproofing membrane. The team engaged with suppliers and manufacturers to trace and document these materials as far upstream in the supply chain as possible, thereby creating transparency and reducing the risk of forced and child labour in the products used to construct the Pavilion.
Design for Freedom by Grace Farms reimagines architecture by raising awareness and inspiring responses to disrupt forced labour in the building materials supply chain. The movement was initiated by Grace Farms Foundation, which has galvanized more than 80 industry leaders and experts comprising the Design for Freedom Working Group. Since its launch, Design for Freedom by Grace Farms has published a comprehensive report and toolkit to illuminate forced labour in the building materials supply chain and develop and incorporate an anti-slavery ethos in the design and construction process.
As of June 2022, there are five Design for Freedom Pilot Projects spanning the United States, United Kingdom, and India, including: a new arts and cultural center by Serendipity Arts in New Delhi, India; Shadow of a Face, a monument to Harriet Tubman designed by architect Nina Cooke John in Newark, New Jersey; the New Canaan Library, in New Canaan, CT; and Temporal Shift, a site-responsive sculpture by Alyson Shotz at Grace Farms.
Access more information by downloading the project brief on the Design for Freedom website.
Feature photo: Serpentine Pavilion 2022 designed by Theaster Gates © Theaster Gates Studio. Photo: Iwan Baan. Courtesy: Serpentine.
