Jeff Koons Exhibition Update
The Jeff Koons exhibition at the Château de Versailles will open as scheduled on 10 September, but it should come as no surprise that the appearance of the King of Kitsch in the domaine of the Sun King has ruffled the feathers of certain traditionalists in the French cultural estblishment.
The words of Edouard de Royère, chairman of the Heritage Foundation, express the sentiments of many: “I am not against contemporary art but I am shocked by its intrusion into a magic place such as Versailles.”
The exhibition will include 15 works by Koons, to be placed in the Hall of Mirrors, the Grand Apartments and the gardens of the Château. Included will be Hanging Heart and a sculpture in porcelain of Michael Jackson and his pet chimp, Bubbles (above).
Jeff Koons didn’t become the world’s priciest living artist (“Hanging Heart” (Magenta), sold at Sotheby’s New York in November for $23 million) by being a shrinking violet, so one can only assume he is pleased by the furor that has erupted around the upcoming show.
Jan del Monte, blogging from the rue du Cherche-Midi, Paris, France
© 2008 Jan del Monte
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Children will love it, as will adults with small brains
What a great comment, anniemousette. I hope there are not a lot of parents who will traumatize their children this way!
Seriously, though, I guess if you were five years old, this would be cute.
It will be interesting to see how this goes.
The only work of Koons I have seen was when my late husband and I went to see the opening of the Bilboa(sp?) museum His Flower puppy dominated the entrance
cigalechanta, I have seen quite a lot of his work (Balloon Dogs ad nauseam), but the one I would like to see and haven’t is Flower Puppy.