Jeff Koons' iconic inflatable sculptures (and more) on display in Rome

From January 25 to February 24, 2024 , the exhibition Jeff Koons. The Balloons world focusing on Jeff Koons’ iconic inflatable sculptures, including Balloon Animals, Balloon Dog, the series dedicated to diamonds and the seated ballerina.

The centerpiece of the exhibition is the Celebration collection, begun in the 1990s, inspired by inflatable decorations displayed in the backyards of homes in south-central Pennsylvania where Koons grew up. The artist was able to transform everyday objects into an artistic series of inflatable animals - rabbits, dogs, monkeys and swans - reproduced in sculptures covered in a metallic, reflective color coating that gives the work a fragile, light appearance. The joyful Balloon Dog Blue, in chrome-plated Limoges porcelain displayed in the exhibition, is reminiscent of the animals that clowns give to children at birthday parties, but it also makes fun of the rhetoric of equestrian statues found in many cities around the world.

Also on display are The Diamonds series, dated 2020 and 2023 respectively, inspired by the monumental sculptures of 1994. “This is not about pageantry, but about the moment of creation,” the artist himself explains. “The hooks on either side of the diamond represent masculine energy, while the diamond is an egg.” With this edition Koons has refined his porcelain working technique that mimics the sharp cuts of the diamond with the mirror effect.

Seated Ballerina, on the other hand, is a painted wood sculpture depicting a ballerina sitting on a stool, intent on slipping on her slippers. “The seated ballerina is like a Venus,” Koons states. “You could see in it the Venus of Willendorf or one of the many ancient Venuses. It’s really a work about beauty and also about the sense of contemplation, of stillness.”

Finally, Carracci Flower, a work with sinuous lines inspired by Agostino Carracci’s erotic etchings known as Le Lascivie, and depicting a nude female figure and her companion.

Also featured in the exhibition are some silkscreens from the Antiquity collection, Gazing Ball and the porcelain Coupe Plates series : Tulips, Lips and Play D’Oh.

The exhibition is organized in collaboration with Weng Contemporary art gallery.

For more info: https://www.deodato.com/

Jeff Koons' iconic inflatable sculptures (and more) on display in Rome

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