Jeff Koons — La rétrospective — Centre Georges Pompidou — Exhibition — Slash Paris

Past: November 26, 2014 → April 27, 2015

The Centre Pompidou is staging the first exhaustive retrospective devoted to Jeff Koons in Europe, starting on 26 November. This unprecedented exhibition makes it possible to fully appreciate a body of work that has marked the contemporary artistic and cultural landscape for 35 years.

While Jeff Koons has been the subject of numerous exhibitions presenting either precise groups of his work or specific sculptures in a given historical environment, no other exhibition has brought together his work in an exhaustive chronological itinerary covering his entire output. This retrospective contains around 100 sculptures and paintings, and retraces all the landmarks in the artist’s career.

Jeff Koons, Teapot, 1979 Théière, tubes en plastique, lumières fluorescentes — 66 × 22,9 × 33 cm Courtesy of the artist & Centre Pompidou, Paris

Devised in collaboration with the Whitney Museum of American Art, which is presenting it in New York from 27 June to 19 October 2014, the Centre Pompidou’s exhibition « Jeff Koons : la rétrospective » (Jeff Koons: the retrospective) invites visitors to take a unprejudiced look at the work of one of the most famous and controversial artists of our times, described as « the last of the Pop artists » by Bernard Blistène, director of the Musée National d’Art Moderne and curator of the Paris exhibition.

The works exhibited at the Centre Pompidou, which come from all over the world, have become present-day icons. The aquariums in the « Equilibrium » series (1985), « Rabbit » (1986), « Michael Jackson and Bubbles » (1988) and « Ballon Dog » (1994 — 2000) have gained immense popularity and made their mark on contemporary visual culture.

Jeff Koons, Balloon Dog (Magenta), 1994-2000 Acier inoxidable poli, revêtement coloré transparent — 307,3 × 363,2 × 114,3 cm Courtesy of the artist & Centre Pompidou, Paris — Photo © Philippe Migeat

The retrospective takes a historical and chronological approach, highlighting the different cycles in the artist’s work from the early pieces reflecting the art of their times to current works that implicitly dialogue with the history of classical art. It highlights the consistency and main themes of the artist’s work, as well as the diversity and richness of his creative power.

The work of Jeff Koons became increasingly established with each new series. Fragile to the point of being derisory, the first « Inflatables » gave way to assemblages seeking a synthesis between Pop Art and Minimalism, like those of the series entitled « The New ».