InstallationOctober 18, 2019
Jeff Koons inaugurates his sculpture Bouquet of Tulips, in Paris, France
In early October, Jeff Koons' Bouquet of Tulips was installed at the Champs Elysee gardens in Paris, between the Petit-Palais art museum and the Place de la Concorde.
The sculpture's location, which initially was planned to be placed in front of the Palais Tokyo, generated controversy ever since its announcement and right up to its installation. In 2018, a group of French citizens—including politicians, artists, and prominent cultural figures—expressed their disapproval in a letter to the newspaper Libération, in which they asked for the project to be abandoned, calling it opportunistic.
Bouquet of Tulips has a height of 12.5 meters (41 feet), 34 tons in weight, and was made of bronze, stainless steel, and aluminum; it is dedicated to the recent victims of the terrorist attacks suffered in France. One hand holds the bouquet of tulips, evoking the hand that holds the torch of the Statue of Liberty in New York, a gift from the French to the American people. Koons announced his gift in November 2016; although he only donated the concept of the piece. The funds for its production—almost four million dollars—came from French and American patrons. The artist will donate 80% of the revenues obtained from its visual reproductions to associations of victims in the 2015 and 2016 attacks, and the remaining 20% will go to the city for the sculpture's maintenance.
The sculpture's location, which initially was planned to be placed in front of the Palais Tokyo, generated controversy ever since its announcement and right up to its installation. In 2018, a group of French citizens—including politicians, artists, and prominent cultural figures—expressed their disapproval in a letter to the newspaper Libération, in which they asked for the project to be abandoned, calling it opportunistic.
Bouquet of Tulips has a height of 12.5 meters (41 feet), 34 tons in weight, and was made of bronze, stainless steel, and aluminum; it is dedicated to the recent victims of the terrorist attacks suffered in France. One hand holds the bouquet of tulips, evoking the hand that holds the torch of the Statue of Liberty in New York, a gift from the French to the American people. Koons announced his gift in November 2016; although he only donated the concept of the piece. The funds for its production—almost four million dollars—came from French and American patrons. The artist will donate 80% of the revenues obtained from its visual reproductions to associations of victims in the 2015 and 2016 attacks, and the remaining 20% will go to the city for the sculpture's maintenance.
