LONDON, July 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the most celebrated works by internationally renowned Venezuelan kinetic artist Jesús Rafael Soto is being presented outdoors in the United Kingdom for the first time. Sponsored by Britannia Financial Group, London's prestigious Serpentine Galleries has inaugurated its 2026 Art in the Park summer programme with the installation of Pénétrable BBL Jaune, on view through October 25, according to MP Publishing.
Melanie Herrera de Velutini. Photo: René Lazový
Courtesy Serpentine.
Jesús Rafael Soto, Pénétrable BBL Jaune. Photo: George Darrell. Courtesy Serpentine.
London's Serpentine Galleries has inaugurated its 2026 Art in the Park with the historic appearance of Jesús Rafael Soto's Pénétrable for the first time in the UK
Originally created in 1999 and reissued in 2023 to commemorate the centenary of Soto's birth, Pénétrable BBL Jaune is a ten-metre-long immersive installation composed of 4,000 suspended yellow PVC strands hanging from a rectangular steel structure. Visitors are invited to walk through the work, becoming active participants rather than passive observers.
"For Britannia Financial Group and our family, it is a privilege to help bring one of Jesús Soto's most emblematic works to London for its first major public presentation in the UK," said Melanie de Herrera Velutini, Director of ORBE Consultants and head of Britannia's artistic and cultural strategy.
"Soto believed that art should invite participation rather than simple observation—a philosophy that deeply resonates with the values our family has embraced for generations," she added.
The installation is part of Soto's celebrated Pénétrable series, comprising more than seventy large-scale interactive sculptures created throughout his career in different dimensions and colours. Born in Venezuela, Soto is regarded as one of the leading figures of twentieth-century kinetic art. His distinguished career earned him France's Order of Arts and Letters in 1968, followed by UNESCO's Picasso Medal in 1990 in recognition of his contribution to bringing cultures together through art.
Alongside the installation, Serpentine is presenting a special display dedicated to Soto's artistic portfolio. In addition, for the first time, his heirs have also authorized a special edition of children's products inspired by his work, marking an unprecedented initiative to extend Soto's legacy to new generations.
"This is an extraordinary milestone," said Melanie de Herrera Velutini. "Soto transformed the relationship between art, space and the viewer. More than two decades after his passing, his work continues to engage audiences in new and meaningful ways, reaffirming his place among the great universal masters of modern art."
Serpentine's Art in the Park programme has become one of London's leading public art initiatives, bringing internationally significant works beyond the museum walls and into Kensington Gardens. To conclude the exhibition, a special finissage cocktail reception with invited guests is scheduled for October, according to Melanie de Herrera Velutini.
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