n his first major solo exhibition in London, NEW FICTION, KAWS (Brian Donnelly b.1974) will present new and recent works in physical and augmented reality at Serpentine North from 18 January - 27 February 2022. The exhibition is presented in collaboration with Acute Art and curated by Acute’s Artistic Director, Daniel Birnbaum. A virtual recreation of the show will launch simultaneously (at 3pm GMT on 18 January) in Fortnite, allowing millions of players from all over the world to experience the exhibition from anywhere. All built by the Fortnite Creative community, players will be able to explore the Serpentine’s grounds and experience KAWS’ artworks and his iconic sculptures in a completely new way.

In addition to the Fortnite collaboration, Serpentine and KAWS will use an app developed by Acute to offer a bridge between the virtual and the physical worlds. All the paintings and sculptures in the exhibition as well as a miniature version of the entire show will exist as AR works on the Acute Art app and can be placed and viewed at home by viewers globally. They can also be shared on social media, making KAWS’ art visible across the world. The aim is to explore new visual media and to reach larger and more diverse audiences.

Brooklyn-based KAWS is considered one of the most innovative artists of his generation. Within the Pop Art tradition, he has created a prolific body of influential work, which both engages young people with contemporary art and straddles the worlds of art and design to include street art, graphic and product design, paintings, murals and large-scale sculptures. KAWS regularly exhibits in museums and galleries internationally and his work continues to appeal to diverse audiences within and beyond the artworld as well as the commercial sector. He has collaborated with creative industry leaders including Nike, Comme des Garçons, Dior, and Uniqlo.