Ironic, controversial, and extensively discussed, Jeff Koons bursts into Florence with the largest exhibition ever in Italy dedicated to the man who revolutionised the international art scene. A sign of the country’s cultural restart after a pandemic that has not yet ended, “Jeff Koons. Shine” continues along the path of Palazzo Strozzi’s lively dialogue between tradition and contemporaneity through the creation of projects amidst the setting of its Renaissance architecture.
Developed in close dialogue with the artist, the exhibition brings together a selection of works that revolve around the concept of brilliance, or rather Shine as the title suggests, Koons’ stylistic code that refers to a game of ambiguity between splendour and glows, being and appearing. “When I deal with reflection and light, it’s also as the celebration of life energy. The opposite of light is darkness, and these works need light. Without light, they’re not seen. Their presence exists, but they can’t be a benefit to anyone. But I find Shine is also about philosophically viewing the world as Apollo, or maybe even Silenus and Dionysus, would. An optimistic dialogue about becoming is taking place within the work” observes Koons.
A true specialist of the surface, yet anything but superficial, Koons finds a key principle of his art in lustre, from the post-modern reinvention of the ready-made to the perfectly polished steelworks that simulate the lightness of inflatable toys, creating true deception between being and appearing. Inspired by Marcel Duchamp and Andy Warhol, he has become the undisputed artist behind works that have become part of the collective imagination thanks to his ability to combine the refinement of art history with the standardisation of consumerism.
Over thirty colourful and mirroring creations place the spectator in front of a space in which to reflect and position themselves at the centre of their surrounding environment. “Anything that reflects has a kind of spiritual transcendence because it involves the viewer. It acknowledges your presence. Every time you move, the reflection changes; it always acknowledges you,” says Koons.
For the artist, the shine is something that goes beyond a mere idea of decoration or embellishment but becomes an intrinsic element of his art and the very substance of his works, endowed with a reflective property and capable of increasing the metaphysical perception of time and of space, surface and depth, the tangible and the intangible. His vision could not be clearer “I am trying to capture the individual’s desire in the object and to fix his or her aspirations in the surface, in a condition of immortality”.
The protagonists are works that tell the story of a career spanning over 40 years, from the famous sculptures that replicate luxury objects, such as the Baccarat Crystal Set (1986), or the iconic inflatable toys such as the Rabbit (1986) and Balloon Dog (Red) (1994-2000), up to the re-interpretation of pop culture characters like Hulk (Tubas) (2004-2018). Unmissable is the Gazing Ball series which includes fanatically precise reproductions of fundamental works in the history of Western art enriched by blue blown glass spheres, the gazing balls, a common ornament in the gardens of homes in the artist’s native Pennsylvania.
“Jeff Koons often insists on the human dimension of his role as an artist,” says exhibition curator Joachim Pissarro. “In fact, it is correct to say that Koons’s work affects and influences humanity, all of us, in the diversity of each one. There is something immediately engaging in Jeff Koons’ work, something that speaks to our hearts deeply.
However, his work is far from easy. His impact is direct and powerful, but the levels of meaning, complexity, and richness of his work are inexhaustible. The opportunity to see his work in Florence today is extremely important: it deeply resonates with the tradition of the Renaissance and gives us intense joy and aesthetic satisfaction. This is the mystery of Jeff Koons.”
Like the splendour of the sun, a brilliant light, or a precious stone, Shine is an aesthetic phenomenon that captures and fascinates the eye. Koons starts from appearance and elevates us from there: gleaming stainless steel and vibrant colours polished to a mirror finish elevate moods, create feelings of euphoria, and produce intensified experiences of reality. And there is no object more related to shine, reflection, and appearance than that of a mirror.
Jeff Koons. Shine
Florence, Palazzo Strozzi – 2 October 2021 – 30 January 2022
Article edit by Claudia Chiari