VERSAILLES, France—There was a striking abundance of smiles at the famed
Château de Versailles for the opening of a show that
detractors have denounced as speculative neo-vandalism, pornographic
provocation, and a blight on France’s prized heritage.
The sculpted manga-like resin characters smiled. The face-endowed
flowers, peering across prints and carpets, smiled. Takashi Murakami, the guest of honor, smiled. As
did Jean Jacques Aillagon, the embattled president of
the Château de Versailles, assailed for inviting the provocative likes
of Jeff Koons and French artist Xavier Veilhan into rooms formerly reserved for
the ‘Sun King’ Louis XIV, the ill-fated Louis XVI, and Marie Antoinette.
"Takashi Murakami’s works are joyous and Versailles is a palace destined
for happiness, joy, and merriment," proclaimed Aillagon.
The Murakami exhibition officially opens September 14, but tourists
already posed for pictures in front of the Japanese contemporary
artist’s ‘Tongari-Kun’ in the Salon d’Hercule and milled around the
‘Flower Matango’ in the Galerie des Glaces. "I think we are not here for
Takashi Murakami," urged one tour guide, reminding his group that the
centuries-old French castle had other, more storied attractions. There
were further hints that dissent over the Murakami show had permeated the
gilded walls. "There are so many other places where they could exhibit
this sort of thing," lamented another guide.
"All of this stems from misunderstanding," Murakami said of the
opposition to the show. "Let’s take baseball or soccer. When one team
scores, there are always people who are unhappy, get angry, and voice
this. I respect that, but my task is entirely different. I wouldn’t make
even the slightest change to my creations. This is not a time for
bowing and trying to please everyone. Mine is a work of confrontation
between the old and the new."
Aillagon found the parallels, noting that the much-loved Louis XIV can
be found in the guise of Hercules, Apollo, or Alexander across the
hallways at Versailles and that Pop and contemporary art have similarly
seized cultural icons to explore and critique. "Artworks must not be
locked into ghettos, or mutually exclusive categories," he mused.
Murakami revealed that, even in Japan, criticism had come to the point
of "unabashed Murakami-bashing," mainly on social networking Web sites.
"This is probably the most complicated show I’ve done, due to the
location," the artist said.
Aillagon has mounted a strong defense of his reign at Versailles,
dismissing criticism as right-wing and conservative ranting and
suggesting that his successor would follow closely in his footsteps. He
noted that controversy had also followed Marc Chagall’s commission to adorn the ceiling of
the Paris Opera and the windows of the Reims Cathedral with his work.
"I find it very pleasant when an exhibition sparks debate, but not when
it turns to controversy," Aillagon said. "Debate is grounded in
intelligence and reason, controversy is grounded in excessive passion,
prejudice, and contempt. I find it sad when you criticize a show before
seeing it, even before the first artwork has arrived. It’s scandalous
when people don’t like an artist or a show and therefore want to have it
banned. That is unacceptable social censorship."
Murakami said he had made several visits to Versailles as the project
advanced. "I discovered the Sun King’s emblematic presence everywhere,
through the golden coloring. I wanted this to echo into my work, which
is why certain pieces are covered in golden leaves, among them the 'Oval
Buddha' in the garden." Murakami had wanted to install three outdoor
sculptures but settled for one.
Notably (though unsurprisingly) absent from the Versailles show are
Murakami’s most controversial works, "My Lonesome Cowboy" and "Hiropon,"
along with their novel depictions of semen and breast milk. The
raunchiest piece is the long-legged "Miss Ko2," in the Salon de la
guerre.
The artist referred to his two notorious works as "big breasts" and "big
penis man." He said, "My main theme is that of the social monster. It
so happens that this monster could take on an erotic appearance. But I
don’t want my authorship of those works to lock me into an 'erotica'
category. I’m just a very normal artist," Murakami said.
"Lonesome Cowboy" could have caused some trouble, admitted Aillagon,
adding that "it’s best not to unnecessarily provoke scandal or give
fodder to those who say we deliberately put on shows for shock value."
Rest assured, there is still nudity in the show. "Sculptures such as
'Tongari-Kun' (with the tongue-in-cheek alias, 'Mr Pointy'), 'Oval
Buddha,' and 'The Emperor’s New Clothes' are all male,” said Murakami.
"Of course, the 'weenies' are so small that you would think they weren’t
even there. But I invite you to take a closer look.”
"Takashi is a bit of a prude," joked the show’s curator, Laurent Le Bon, who is also director of the Centre Pompidou’s new venture in Metz. "This
exhibition effectively holds the tiniest micro-penis in the world."
The Murakami show can be enjoyed at the Château de Versailles until
December 12.
source: Nicolai Hartvig for Artinfo
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