Jesús Rafael Soto: Pénétrable BBL Jaune

Serpentine Artistic Director Hans Ulrich Obrist discusses Jesús Rafael Soto’s sculpture Pénétrable BBL Jaune, accompanied by archival footage from an interview between Obrist and Soto at the artist’s studio in the early 2000s.

Born in Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela, Jesús Rafael Soto (1923–2005) was one of the pioneers of kinetic art, creating works that explore movement, space and tactility.

Over a career spanning more than seventy years, he has worked across drawing, painting, sculpture and installation, developing immersive environments that invite visitors to experience art physically and visually.

Presented in Kensington Gardens, Pénétrable BBL Jaune (1999; 2023 Edition) is part of Soto’s celebrated Pénétrable series. Measuring 10 metres long, the sculpture is made from 4,000 suspended yellow PVC tubes hanging from a steel framework. From a distance, the closely spaced strands seem to shimmer and shift due to a moiré effect. Visitors are invited to walk through the work, allowing their movement to activate and transform the space around them.

Pénétrable BBL Jaune is free to visit and open until 25 October 2026.