The "Bouquet of Tulips" by the American artist Jeff Koons will be inaugurated on October 4, said the mayor of Paris, presenting Wednesday the outline of the 18th edition of the White Night to be held the next day. "On October 4th, barring unforeseen events, Jeff Koons 'Tulip Bouquet will be inaugurated, which is on the agenda of the mayor of Paris and mine," said the City of Paris' deputy Culture Minister. , Christophe Girard.
The inauguration of this controversial sculpture (10 meters high and weighing 30 tons) will be done in the presence of the artist, who is regularly controversial for his works considered kitsch and indicative of excessive commodification of contemporary art. Former US Ambassador Jane Hartley will also be present.
A controversial work
Originally, this work was proposed by the US embassy to the mayor of Paris, the day after the attacks of 2015, as a tribute to the victims. Jeff Koons wanted it to be located near the Trocadero, between the Museum of Modern Art and the Palais de Tokyo, a place frequented by tourists. In front of the rising of shields, a more discreet site, visible from the small Palace and not far from the American embassy, had been chosen on a municipal garden.
This inauguration will take place a few hours before a Nuit Blanche under the sign of movement and mobility, with a plethora of projects, under the leadership of Didier Fusillier, as artistic director, and Jean-Max Colard, artistic advisor.