The fun pop art of American artist Jeff Koons is currently on show at the Fondation Beyeler in Basel, Switzerland. Inside the expected sculptures are there. Balloon dog, Tulips and Michael Jackson & Bubbles occupy the main rooms. But it is outside where the real treasures lie.
At the back of the gallery you’ll find Ballon Flower (Blue). It looks like it’s floating on the surface of the water with endless reflections delighting between pond and sculpture.
And a rare treat is Split-Rocker, a colossal floral sculpture made of thousands of real plants. The piece was first exhibited at the cloister of the Palais de Papes in Avignon, then again a few years later in the gardens of Versaille. The sculpture – half dinosaur, half pony – shows the split head of the animal that looks simultaneously forward and to the side, giving it the feel of a monstrous children’s toy.
We met Koons back in 2010 at the Pompidou Centre in Paris as he unveiled his BMW art car. Read the interview here.
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