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Tongari-Kun (Mister Pointy); Photo: Florian Kleinefenn – Salon d’Hercule / Château de Versailles
This might be one of my favorite exhibitions of the year: Takashi Murakami at the Château de Versailles in France. The juxtaposition between Murakami’s colorful, trippy cartoon world and the traditional, rococo palace surroundings is remarkable.
Kaikai Kiki; Photo: Gilles Truyens © EPV
Oval Buddha Silver; Photo: Gilles Truyens © EPV
Kawaii – Vacances et Untitled; Photo: Gilles Truyens © EPV
Flower Matango; Left Photo: Gilles Truyens © EPV/Right Photo: Florian Kleinefenn – Galerie des Glaces / Château de Versailles
From the artist:
For a Japanese like me, the Château de Versailles is one of the greatest symbols of Western history. It is the emblem of an ambition for elegance, sophistication and art that most of us can only dream of.
Of course, we are aware that the spark that set fire to the powder of the Revolution came directly from the centre of the building.But, in many respects, everything is transmitted to us as a fantastic tale coming from a very distant kingdom. Just as French people can find it hard to recreate in their minds an accurate image of the Samurai period, the history of this palace has become diminished for us in reality.
So it is probable that the Versailles of my imagination corresponds to an exaggeration and a transformation in my mind so that it has become a kind of completely separate and unreal world. That is what I have tried to depict in this exhibition.
I am the Cheshire cat that welcomes Alice in Wonderland with its diabolic smile, and chatters away as she wanders around the Château.
With a broad smile I invite you all to discover the wonderland of Versailles.
What: Murakami Versailles
When: September 14, 2010 – December 12, 2010
Where: Château de Versailles
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3 Comments
mia tham-neh on 10.07.2010 at 10:13 AM
i personnaly was disappointed by this proximity, when i visited the castle yesterday. I come from s-e asia and was nervous and expecting to discover the real castle, but too many rooms, so exotics for me french culture and paintings !! ;D, were filled with these non-sense modern japanese art. i wont come back to france to see the true castle, without these disturbing pieces, so i don’t agree with the tone of this article. i didn’t ask for a refund but they missed the point : people from the world go to see the castle of versailles, and not to be disturbed by pointless modern art.
George Walters on 10.07.2010 at 17:38 PM
What we each see and decide is art is a personal choice. If you didn’t like the exhibit then that’s your choice but to call anyone who is as successful as Murakami’s creative expression as \pointless modern art\ is rude and ignorant. Personally the over the top decoration and decadent display of wealth King Louis XIV filled the palace with is much more offensive to me than this exhibit or any art exhibit could ever be. In fact I think the contrast of the classic style of the palace to the comic style of the exhibit is brilliant.
Merry on 01.06.2014 at 18:38 PM
Love this exhibition! It is my favorite of all the modern art exhibits at Versailles. Murakami’s work is so colorful and powerful, too.
I love the art exhibitions so much, I pulled together photos of 6 of the exhibitions that have been on display at Versailles. They’re incredible! Check it out here: http://frenchseams.com/6-gorgeous-art-installations-at-versailles/
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