© Anastasiia Nikitiuk et Iwan Baan.
What do Jeff Koons, Andy Warhol, and Marcel Duchamp have in common? They are all great masters of Pop Art, one of the major artistic movements of the 60s. The Fondation Louis Vuitton is honoring them and is presenting until February 24, 2025, “Pop Forever, Tom Wesselmann &...”, featuring works with high LOL potential ranging from large, colorful Coca Cola posters to giant, crazy collages. An ultra-energizing outing you absolutely must treat yourself to.
Pop Art vibe
At the end of the 1950s, Pop Art began its transatlantic journey. Born in North America and then arrived in Europe, this artistic movement focuses on comic books, advertising, cinema, celebrities, household robots, and tabloid press as its main subjects. There’s something for everyone! At the heart of Pop Art, there is the marriage between art, museums, galleries, and popular culture. But Pop Art, more than just a movement or artistic technique, is today a full-fledged aesthetic that we’re far from done talking about.
A colorful immersion
The exhibition centers around Tom Wesselmann (1931-2004), one of the leading figures of the movement. His artistic career is revealed through a selection of 150 paintings and works made from various materials. Additionally, 70 works by 35 artists from different generations and nationalities, all sharing a Pop sensibility, are featured. No need for introductions: Andy Warhol and his ultra-flashy Marilyns, Roy Lichtenstein and his giant, colorful comic book panels... Not to mention Marcel Duchamp and his iconic ready-made that caused a scandal in 1917: Fountain, a piece made from an overturned porcelain urinal!
Halfway between paintings and sculptures, Wesselmann's works also incorporate multimedia elements (like lights, movement, radio sound, videos playing on old TVs embedded in the works), a format still super popular today. As for his spectacular Standing Still Lifes, at the crossroads between painting and installation, they introduced an unprecedented format. They are enormous, so much so that you feel tiny standing in front of their height and even width. These works are displayed in high-ceilinged rooms where you won’t hesitate to linger. Each of the 4 floors of this exhibition becomes a feast of color and surprise!
Pop Forever, Tom Wesselmann &… Fondation Louis Vuitton, 8 avenue du Mahatma Gandhi, Paris 16. Every day from 10 am to 8 pm except Friday until 9 pm. From October 17, 2024, to February 24, 2025.
© Fondation Louis Vuitton par Anastasiia Nikitiuk et Marc Domage.
